Destiny Awaits
by Dragoon Swordsman
Summary: A new war begins, and Alex Strassmeier is in the thick of it once again. Together with Kira, Shinn, and their friends, he resumes the fight with the Alliance. Read the first two stories first, or this one will make no sense.
1. Chapter 1: The Flames of Conflict

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule and Keinn Legwitz are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

ZAFT prototype warship _Minerva_, hangar

* * *

Shinn Asuka reflexively braced to attention as two Gundam-type mobile suits floated almost gracefully into the hangar. One, the golden ORB-01 Akatsuki, belonged to Chief Representative Athha's daughter, Cagalli. The other, the silver ZGMF-X14A Anubis, was assigned to ZAFT's second highest ace, Alex Strassmeier, Shinn's Academy mentor.

The two machines moved to holding racks, opposite Mu La Flaga's GAT-X105 Strike. Both hatches opened, and the two young pilots pushed off.

Shinn saluted. "Welcome aboard," he said.

Alex and Cagalli returned the salute. "Thank you," Alex said, then clasped the younger man's hand. "How are things, Shinn?"

"Pretty quiet, Alex, though there've been rumors of Earth Forces activity lately." Shinn still felt strange at being on a first name basis with the Spider of Artemis, but the sensation was gradually diminishing. "Not to mention those blasted pirates," he added with a scowl.

"I hear that," Alex agreed. "Andrea's team just wiped out a bunch in the ruins of Heliopolis a couple days ago. They were using GuAIZ Rs."

Shinn blinked in surprise. "GuAIZ Rs?" he repeated.

"At least a dozen," Cagalli confirmed. "None of them lasted very long -Andrea has a Gundam, and her team has some of the new ZAKU Phantoms- but it's still not a good sign."

"No, it isn't." Shinn muttered a curse. "And we're supposed to have a big, public launch ceremony tomorrow."

Alex nodded. "That's why we're here," he said. "No slight on your skills, Shinn, but you're still green, as are most of your teammates. In light of that, Chairman Clyne and Chief Representative Athha agreed that some extra firepower is in order."

Shinn snorted. "I'm not complaining. We might be out of the way," the PLANT known as Armory One was at the L4 point, "but this sort of thing is a big fat target."

"We're going to be meeting with Chairman Clyne and Athrun to discuss security arrangements," Cagalli said.

"Right," Shinn said. "Anything else?"

Alex grimaced. "You may find yourself fighting Mu's cousin Jean-Pierre," he said sourly. "He just graduated from the Atlantic Federation's naval academy, and while he doesn't have the sort of powers the Mu and I have, he's still one hot pilot from what we've heard."

The younger pilot winced. "I'll remember that, Alex, thanks." Something in his mentor's expression caught his eye. "Alex?"

Alex shook himself. "Sorry. I'm concerned, that's all." He sighed. "I don't know if you were aware of it, but I opposed the Impulse design. It has a large number of structural integrity issues because of its modular design."

"I've been piloting it for a month. Do you think it'll fail a real combat test?" Shinn asked.

"Normally I'd say yes," Alex responded. "However, I am confident that your skill will offset the frame's weakness." He gripped Shinn's shoulder. "Just be careful out there."

Shinn smiled. "I will."

Alex nodded, and he and Cagalli moved for the hangar exit.

Shinn climbed into the Core Splendor module, the central part of the Impulse Gundam. After Alex's warning, he wanted to make sure everything was in perfect working order. The problem was, he was far from the only rookie onboard; of the ship's permanent crew, only the captain, Talia Gladys, had any real experience.

To be sure, they had the temporary assistance of some highly skilled pilots. Mu of course was already onboard, and no less a famous machine than Athrun Zala's ZGMF-X09A Justice had been loaded that very morning. Nevertheless, Shinn was acutely aware that he and his teammates carried the real burden.

_Fine. If it's up to us, then we'll do it._

* * *

Earth Forces _Archangel_-class warship _Seraphim_, pilots' ready room

* * *

Lieutenant (senior grade) Jean-Pierre La Flaga hated his current assignment. Not that he objected to an opportunity to hit ZAFT, or to track down his traitorous relative. Rather, he deeply loathed two of his current associates, Commander Xavier Hunter, his commanding officer, and Ensign Gustav Krieger, a Eurasian with the air of a mad scientist.

_I don't know which of them is worse,_ he thought, carefully hiding a sneer. _Commander Hunter, who wouldn't know an emotion if it bit him, or that psychopath Krieger. Anyone who admires someone like Mengele…_

Gustav Krieger, who hailed from the German city of Stuttgart, was known as a pseudo-Neo Nazi. His personal role model, as far as that went, was the infamous Joseph Mengele, possibly the most evil "doctor" who ever lived.

_Even Roanoke hates him._ Jean-Pierre snorted softly. _Probably because the bastard treats the Extendeds like toys._ That was something he could never understand. Though he himself had something of a sadistic streak, Jean-Pierre believed in treating fellow soldiers as fellow soldiers, barring something extraordinarily loathsome (like Krieger's madness). The whole "biological CPU" concept had always disgusted him.

Not that Neo Roanoke was any better, he reflected. The mysterious leader of the Phantom Pain unit had turned up seemingly out of nowhere earlier in the year. Almost oppressively competent, he was one of the few who could manage the new TS-MA4 Exus mobile armor without an AI to back him up. Like the late, unlamented Rau Le Creuset, he wore a mask that concealed his features, though his was closer to a full helmet. Jean-Pierre considered the man a menace to society.

The ready room hatch slid open, and Gustav Krieger stepped in. Jean-Pierre stifled a grimace; though he and the German pilot looked somewhat alike, blonde, blue-eyed, and close in height, they were very different in disposition. It was a difference Jean-Pierre La Flaga was very careful to emphasize.

"So," the Canadian pilot said. "What brings the Mad Scientist here?"

Krieger ignored the jibe. "There will be increased security at Armory One," he said, his thick German accent somehow thicker than usual. "The Spider of Artemis is there in person."

Jean-Pierre rolled his eyes. "He is a top-ranking member of their FAITH organization," he pointed out. "His presence there is hardly unexpected."

"Perhaps, but it does not bode well for us," Krieger said. "He is well known as a security expert; with him personally involved, it is highly possible that the Extendeds will fail to infiltrate the facility."

"If they're as good as you've been claiming for months, I don't think there will be a problem," Jean-Pierre said, not bothering to hide his distaste for the other. "All they have to do is find and capture the Second Stage machines. No different from what the Le Creuset team did at Heliopolis."

Another pilot grunted. "And we've got better support than they did," Zebulon Markham said. The black-haired, brown-eyed pilot of their fastest mobile suit leaned back in his chair. "They had two ships and a few GINNs; _we_ have two ships, six G-weapons, a bunch of Dagger Ls, and an Exus."

Jean-Pierre raised his glass in salute. "Exactly, Zebulon, thank you." He turned back to Krieger. "You're worrying too much, Krieger. The Extendeds are more than capable of carrying out the mission. Even Alex Strassmeier can only be at one place at one time."

"Yes," Krieger conceded. "A pity his sister is nowhere near."

_So that you could have another toy to play with. Fool._ Jean-Pierre cared nothing for genetic differences; any Coordinator who would be loyal to the Atlantic Federation was welcome as far as he was concerned. People like Krieger made him physically ill.

Zebulon agreed. "Come on, Krieger, that whole project was crazy. All it did was give us a bunch of Coordinators who hate us even more than most of them do."

Krieger, predictably, was unimpressed. No surprise; his Nazi impulses weren't the only reason the majority of his comrades loathed him. He was known to attack civilians more or less indiscriminately, and destroy escape pods from warships.

_He's not a soldier, he's a thug. Not a mindless one, unfortunately._ Jean-Pierre La Flaga considered it a point of honor to _never_ attack civilians (except for political leaders and merchant ships, both of which were legitimate targets) or escape pods. He viewed such tactics as the height of cowardice.

"Zebulon's right," Ensign Terrence Starr said. The mysterious pilot of the GAT-X150 Terra Gundam looked up from a book he'd been reading. An orphan, Starr knew nothing about his origins save for the fact that he was a Natural, and he blamed Coordinators for that lack. "We should just kill them and be done with it," he went on, running a hand through his brown hair.

"I'm with Terry," an Irish voice put in. Morton Callahan, pilot of GAT-X135 Catastrophe, took a sip of water. "Destroy, or be destroyed, simple as that."

Jean-Pierre shook his head at Krieger's expression. Personally, he largely agreed with Starr and Callahan, if only because he disliked Krieger. He was also very grateful that Krieger had been assigned the Forbidden-based GAT-X163 Verboten, instead of an artillery support machine like the Catastrophe. Jean-Pierre piloted the new GAT-X121 Rapier, based on the Duel's design. Zebulon's GAT-X371 Corsair was a development of the Raider, while Starr's Terra was descended from the Strike.

"Look, Krieger, when you get down to it it's up to Lord Djibril," Zebulon said.

His words had their intended effect. Krieger straightened, nodding sharply. "Yes, of course."

Jean-Pierre stifled a groan. That was another thing he hated about his current post; he had no use for Blue Cosmos, whatever his cousin thought. Having to answer directly to one of their flunkies was almost more than he could stand.

_Almost, but not quite,_ he thought grimly. _If that's what it takes to get to Mu, so be it._

* * *

Armory One spaceport

* * *

Alex Strassmeier exited the shuttle and smiled, seeing who had come to greet them. "Nice to see you, Athrun," he said, saluting.

Athrun Zala waved the salute away. "No formalities with us, Alex," he said, then nodded at the shuttle's other occupant. "Hi, Cagalli."

"Hi yourself, Athrun," Cagalli responded, giving him a brief but fierce hug; he was as much a brother to her as Kira was, and she made sure he knew it. "How have you been?"

"Busy, what with all the preparations." Athrun gestured to a waiting jeep. "I know it's not much, but you two have never cared about luxury travel anyway."

Alex idly observed the surroundings as they moved. Since there was a ceremony scheduled for the following day, there was a fair number of the otherwise-useless ceremonial-type GINNs present, along with the more modern ZAKUs and a couple of Orb M1S Astray Strikes. A few DINNs were visible in the near distance, and at least one ZAKU Phantom.

"This is like a giant hornet's nest," Cagalli commented, waving at another jeep. Two of the passengers, Lunamaria Hawke and the ever-so-demented Keinn Legwitz, waved back.

Athrun shrugged. "Tomorrow's going to be big and flashy. Not to mention we need additional security, what with the pirate attacks, _and_ the Earth Forces getting testy again."

"Tell me about it," Cagalli said sourly. "I sat in on a meeting between my father and the Atlantic Federation's ambassador early last month. The guy looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel."

Alex snorted. "They still haven't gotten over the Equatorial Union and the Kingdom of Scandinavia breaking away from the Alliance at the end of the war, and the loss of South America didn't help matters." There was a touch of pride in his voice; he'd been involved in the orbital drop ZAFT had staged in support of the South American freedom fighters. The Earth Forces hadn't enjoyed the experience.

Unbeknownst to him, however, his usual powers of observation had failed him. Otherwise, he might have realized that a nearby trio of teenagers were not the mere civilians they appeared to be.

* * *

"Man, of all the things we don't need," Sting Oakley grumbled. "Silver Death, here at Armory One. What else could go wrong?"

"Kira Yamato turning up?" Auel Neider suggested sardonically. "Seriously, Sting, he's just one guy, even if he is hot stuff in a mobile suit."

Stellar Loussier made no comment at first. "His presence isn't a surprise," she said at last. "He's FAITH."

"Stellar's right," Auel said. "The guy's FAITH's number three, of course he'd be here."

A jeep pulled up, bearing a couple of ZAFT greens. They displayed no surprise at the three teenagers. For that matter, the teens in question weren't surprised to see them. In fact, they'd counted on it, for the two in green uniforms weren't ZAFT soldiers at all.

"Right on schedule," the senior of them said. "Any problems?"

Sting shook his head. "We got in just fine. What's Strassmeier doing here, anyway?"

"Something about security for the ceremony tomorrow," the other said. He gestured for the teens to climb in. "We have to move now."

After a short drive, they came to a halt near Mobile Suit Hangar Six. "More than enough weapons for you over there," the second man said, nodding at a duffel bag. "Should be enough."

Sting unfastened the bag and pulled out a pair of machine pistols, three grenades, and a pair of combat knives. Keeping one of the pistols for himself, he handed the other to Auel, gave each of his companions a grenade, and tossed the knives to Stellar.

"It'll be enough," he said. "Let's go."

* * *

Siegel Clyne's office

* * *

Unlike most ZAFT soldiers, Alex was quite comfortable in the Chairman's presence. It came from a combination of factors; his marriage to the daughter of another politician, his FAITH membership, which put him in frequent contact with Clyne, and his friendship with the Chairman's daughter and son-in-law.

"Welcome, both of you," Siegel said. "Is Lacus well?"

Lacus Zala (nee Clyne) had departed for Orb on a concert tour a week previously. "She's fine," Alex said, sitting at the Chairman's gesture. "Staying with the Yamatos, if I recall correctly."

Siegel nodded. Since Kira and Athrun were brothers in all but blood, and Lacus was close to Flay as well, it was a logical place for her to stay while in Orb. "You know why I asked you here," he said.

"Too well," Alex said. "Word is the _Seraphim_ is patrolling L4. That's not good news, when you add in the pirate raids." The _Seraphim_ was the only Alliance _Archangel_-class ship to survive Jachin Due, _Dominion_ and _Cherubim_ having been destroyed by Yzak and Samorei Joule. "What's the schedule?"

"_Minerva_ will be launching tomorrow," Siegel told him. "Four of the Second Stage units are ready; the Savior has run into some development problems, so its deployment will be delayed."

Alex grunted. "I was opposed to the Impulse's design from the beginning, but Shinn's raw skill should go a long way to offsetting its flaws. He's far and away my best student."

"Indeed." Siegel sighed. "Athrun has already heard this, but the two of you should as well. The Earth Alliance is becoming increasingly belligerent."

Cagalli snorted. "Tell us something we don't know," she said.

"Yes, but you may not be aware of the extent of it." Siegel grimaced. "According to recent intelligence reports, there is a growing movement within the Earth Alliance member states, particularly the Atlantic Federation, to reestablish Earth control over the PLANTs."

Alex muttered a vicious curse. "If that movement has any traction at all, it means that they think they have the muscle to back it up."

"Exactly," Siegel agreed. "Which is why tomorrow's launch must proceed smoothly, and why the _Seraphim_'s presence is especially worrisome."

Alex grimaced. "Even with our current Gundam strength, they could give us a fight. They don't assign just anyone to _Archangel_-class ships, those three lunatic Gundam pilots notwithstanding. Something's up, and I guarantee we won't like it."

Cagalli raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure you're not overreacting just a bit, Alex?" she asked. "We've got at least three nuclear mobile suits here, plus Mu and Nicol."

"Cagalli, do you really think it's a coincidence that the last Alliance _Archangel_ is in the area?" Athrun countered. "They know something's about to happen here, even if they don't know exactly what."

"Precisely," Alex said. "The Earth Alliance is becoming progressively more fractious. Eurasia still hasn't recovered from Operation Spit Break, and both the Equatorial Union and the Kingdom of Scandinavia withdrew from the Alliance at the end of the war. Most likely, the Atlantic Federation -or their Blue Cosmos puppet masters- want to start a war that would force what remains of the Alliance to strengthen its internal ties."

He stood, and began to pace. "The Republic of East Asia and the South African Union will almost certainly remain with the Alliance; East Asia doesn't like Oceania very much, and the African Community and South African Union have long been economic rivals." He snorted. "At least this time we'll have the U.S.S.A. on our side."

"You think it will come to war?" Siegel said sharply.

"I think war is both inevitable and imminent," Alex said. "A month at the outside, very possibly days away."

A tremendous explosion cut off further conversation.

* * *

Outside Mobile Suit Hangar Six

* * *

One moment, things seemed perfectly normal. The next, a hail of gunfire erupted near the hangar, punctuated by at least three grenades. Several guards were felled by the trio of teenagers who appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Minutes later, it had gotten even worse. With an ear-shattering roar, Mobile Suit Hangar Six exploded, revealing ZGMF-X24S Chaos, X31S Abyss, and X88S Gaia standing amidst the rubble.

"Let's go," Sting said from the Chaos's cockpit. "We have what we came for."

They weren't unopposed, of course. A number of ZAFT mobile suits tried to stop them, but were hopelessly outclassed. Several DINNs and a few of the ceremonial type GINNs attempted to intervene, but the Alliance pilots blew them away.

* * *

Clyne's office/Armory One interior

* * *

Alex picked himself up off the floor. "Or it could start right now," he said, wiping blood from his lip. He pressed a control on Siegel's desk. "This is Commander Strassmeier of FAITH. What in blazes is going on?"

"Mobile Suit Hangar Six has been destroyed, sir!" a harried voice said. "Chaos, Abyss, and Gaia have been stolen! The attackers are-" The transmission cut off with brutal suddenness.

Alex swore viciously and slammed a fist on the desk. "It's the Earth Forces. No pirate gang could pull this off."

"Agreed," Athrun said. "Alex, you and Cagalli get out of here. Head for the _Minerva_ if possible. I'll see to Chairman Clyne's safety."

"Right." Alex took Cagalli's arm. "Let's go."

She reluctantly nodded. "Be careful, Athrun."

Alex drew his Luger as they moved, cursing in German under his breath. After months of predicting a new war, he was still astonished that it had started right under his nose. Granted the existence of Armory One wasn't exactly a secret -keeping something that huge secret was a physical impossibility- but it still had the highest security in space outside of ZAFT HQ.

"Why did we leave our machines in the _Minerva_'s hangar?" Cagalli moaned.

"We had no way of knowing this was going to happen," Alex told her. "Right now, our priority is to find some transportation; I don't fancy remaining on foot when there are three stolen Gundams running around."

An opportunity presented itself within minutes. They had just skidded to a stop to avoid a close encounter with the Gaia when a ZAKU crashed to its knees almost directly in front of them.

"Beggars can't be choosers," Alex muttered. "Come on."

Though he had opposed the ZAKU design, Alex had made a point of familiarizing himself with the machine. Its design philosophy was similar to that of the Earth Forces' various Strike Dagger variants, save for the original version deployed at Panama. This one, unfortunately, had no Wizard pack equipped, so Alex was limited to an axe and some grenades.

Cagalli touched his shoulder. "You'll do fine," she said softly. "You were great in that M1at Orb."

"The M1 is a better design, weapon packs aside," Alex countered, gripping the joysticks. "I hate ZAKUs." He touched a control. "I suppose I should at least try a surrender demand; we're not officially at war, after all." The comm board lit. "Attention, unknown pilots. This is Commander Alex Strassmeier of FAITH. Power down your weapons and surrender."

He didn't expect a favorable response, and he was right. "Take this!" Auel snarled, firing his Callidus beam cannon.

Alex took the blast on his shield. "Not good." He switched frequencies. "Commander Strassmeier here. I'm in a ZAKU, and I've got all three stolen machines on me. I could use some backup."

* * *

_Minerva_, hangar/open space, outside Armory One

* * *

"Roger that, kid," Mu La Flaga said. "We've got problems of our own, but I think we can spare Shinn and a couple of ZAKUs." Mu switched to a link with the Core Splendor. "You get that?"

Shinn Asuka flipped him a jaunty salute. "Ready to go!"

"You go and help Alex. Keinn." Mu looked at the bright red MVF-M11C Murasame. "We're heading out into space."

"Yes, sir!" Keinn said smartly.

Mu felt the characteristic jolt of connection. "Strike, connected to catapult."

"Understood, Commander," _Minerva_'s parasite operator, Meyrin Hawke, said. "Clear for launch."

_What is it with prototype warships and teenage girls?_ Mu wondered, thinking of Miriallia Haw. "Mu La Flaga, launching!"

He felt better once in open space. Mu had never enjoyed the final moments just before launch; pilots were at their most vulnerable at that point. In space, he was in at least partial control of his own fate; he could avoid enemy fire, and respond in kind.

Meyrin spoke again. "Five mobile suits incoming, confirmed to be G-weapon variants. Mothership appears to be _Archangel_-class."

"That'll be the _Seraphim_," Mu said.

A new voice cut in. "Hello, Mu," it said, a definite note of scorn audible. "Long time no see."

Mu's eyes narrowed. "Jean-Pierre. Not long enough."

"Oh, but it's been too long," the other said. His machine was visible now; Mu saw a definite resemblance to the original form of Yzak's X102 Duel. "I've been wanting to make you pay ever since Alaska."

Mu cautiously brought up his rifle. If that thing was based on the Duel, then it was likely a melee unit, and he didn't want to fight it on its own ground. "Pay for what?"

"What else?" Jean-Pierre sounded surprised that Mu had to ask. "You betrayed the Atlantic Federation, and your own family."

"My own family?" Mu snorted derisively. "You're my only living blood relation, and you're nothing but a Blue Cosmos puppet."

"I am no one's puppet!" His cousin was sounding agitated now. "I fight for my people, something _you_ appear to have forgotten!" The other machine's rifle came up. "Unlike you, I still have my honor!"

Mu shook his head. "Honor, he says," he muttered, then radioed Keinn. "Keinn, I'll handle this guy. The other G-machines are peeling off toward the defense forces; pursue and lend a hand."

"Roger roger." Keinn's Murasame shifted to mobile armor mode, waggled its wings, and sped off.

Jean-Pierre La Flaga laughed. "One on one, just as it should be. You're mine, Mu!"

"Think again, J.P.." The two machines began to close on each other.

* * *

Armory One interior

* * *

Most people would have described Alex's position as hopeless. He was faced with three stolen Gundams, all of which had highly skilled pilots, and he was in a ZGMF-1000 ZAKU with no Wizard pack equipped. To most, it was a classic no-win scenario.

Alex Strassmeier didn't believe in no-win scenarios.

His enemies may have been skilled, but they were also inexperienced. Alex took advantage of this, drawing his beam axe and lunging at the Gaia. Stellar took the blow on her shield and backpedaled, drawing a saber.

Alex dodged her initial slash. "Amateur," he said, arming a grenade. It wouldn't affect the VPS directly, be there was a chance of blinding the other machine's optics.

The gambit worked, but Alex was unable to press his advantage. Sting chose that moment to release his weapon pods, forcing Alex to dodge. "Not so fast, Spider!"

"My reputation precedes me, it seems." Alex aimed a kick at the Chaos while simultaneously deflecting another saber strike from the Gaia. "A pity it isn't enough to get these jokers to back off."

"If reputations won wars, the Earth Forces would have been fine with just Mu," Cagalli said. "Most Alliance pilots are afraid of you, but I'll bet these guys are made of sterner stuff."

"Probably true," Alex agreed.

Auel had his beam javelin out, attempting to impale Alex's ZAKU. The ZAFT pilot jumped, landing behind the Abyss with his axe raised. Auel barely dodged in time, making room for Stellar to unleash a barrage of laser fire that impacted on the ZAKU's shield.

"What's with this guy!?" Sting wondered in disbelief. "He's just in a ZAKU, but he won't quit! Is he even human!?"

"More human than you are, evidently," Alex said. "I was willing to pit a single ship and five mobile suits against all of ZAFT; three Earth Forces pilots in stolen ZAFT Gundams don't rate that much." He brandished his axe. "I fought against the Le Creuset team, the best ZAFT had to offer at the time. You're nothing compared to them."

Auel snorted. "There's one of you, and three of us, Spider. You think you can beat those odds with a ZAKU?"

"Time is on my side," Alex said coldly. "As we speak, our defense forces are mobilizing, and I'm not the only ace pilot here." He shifted his stance, shield in front and axe held to the side. "You have one last chance. Surrender."

"Not happening, Silver Death!" Sting's rifle came up, firing repeatedly.

Alex twisted and dodged, muttering imprecations under his breath. He was worried, not for his own safety, but for Cagalli's. There was no way to keep her out of the line of fire, and he knew it, but he would have preferred that she be in her own Gundam. _I'd prefer that I be in _my_ Gundam, too, but there's no help for it right now._

_I really hate having my wife in this position, though._

Gaia and Abyss added their fire to the Chaos's, limiting the ZAKU's room to maneuver. Alex was able to take a few shots on his shield and dodge the rest, but he knew it was a losing proposition. Unless he was somehow able to seize the initiative, he was going down. _This can't go on. They have more powerful weapons, plus the new VPS._

He took advantage of a brief lull to assess his opponents. "Those three are skilled, but also inexperienced," he told Cagalli, blue eyes narrowing. "Do you see it?"

She nodded. "The new Gundams are powerful, but the pilots aren't using their machines to the fullest. Definitely rookies."

"And rookie pilots make rookie mistakes," Alex said. "Unfortunately, there's a limit to how I can exploit that, given that I have only one weapon that can damage them at all."

"Aim low," Cagalli suggested. "You beat me that way at least twice when we were training."

Alex gave her a shark's grin. "You were better than these jokers, too. He goes."

The ZAKU made a diving lunge, swinging its axe at the Abyss's legs. Auel yelped in surprise, jumping backward just in time. Alex's second swing grazed the Gundam's left leg, and then the Abyss was clear. Releasing a smoke grenade to cover his movements, the FAITH operative shifted to the Chaos. Unfortunately, Sting was ready for him, firing all his ranged weapons at once.

_Give them credit, they don't fall for the same trick twice. Unfortunately, I'm almost out of tricks. There's only so much I can do with a ZAKU._

The Alliance pilots seemed to realize that as well. They spread out, ensuring that Alex could only attack one of them at a time. A steady barrage of laser fire kept him from getting too close, and nibbled away at his armor with an occasional graze.

"This doesn't look good, Alex," Cagalli said worriedly. "Unless we get some help soon, it's over."

Alex grimaced. "I wish I could disagree with you. Sadly, I'm just about out of tricks, and they know it. We can only hope the defense forces get here in time."

For a long moment everything seemed frozen. Three Gundams facing a single beleaguered ZAKU, the two sides glaring at each other. The ZAKU itself was visibly scorched, while of the Gundams, only the Gaia was damaged, courtesy of Alex's grenade attack on its optics.

Auel laughed, breaking the spell. "The Spider of Artemis, caught in his own web!"

"Not for long!"

The Alliance pilots looked wildly around. "What was that!?" Sting demanded.

Alex and Cagalli looked at each other and grinned, the same thought flashing through both their minds. _Shinn!_

A small fighter swooped in, firing a salvo of missiles at the stolen Gundams. It then jettisoned the launchers, as a collection of unmanned flyers joined it. The fighter was soon obscured by what appeared to be a box, which the pilots recognized as the torso of a mobile suit. Arms, legs, and a head snapped on one after another, followed by a pair of antiship swords and beam boomerangs. Color flowed over the mobile suit in the distinctive Phase-shift pattern, turning it from dull grey to red and white.

"Where'd that thing come from!?" Auel yelled.

"I don't know who you are, and I don't really care," Shinn Asuka said. He snapped the swords together in a double-ended weapon. "But if it's a fight you want, I'll be happy to give you one!"

Alex keyed his comm. "Glad to see you, Shinn. Your timing couldn't have been better."

* * *

Author's note: The second war begins, and once again Alex Strassmeier finds himself in the thick of it.

I apologize for the extreme lateness of this posting, but circumstances were rather beyond my control. I was having trouble getting started, and I also went through an extremely painful experience recently. I cannot say how frequent updates will be.

As stated at the beginning of SEEDs of the Future, I have not actually seen Destiny and have no real desire to. Thus, I may well have some of the new cast rather out of character, though Shinn and later Meer Campbell are changed by design.

Thanks to SeXysangokittygrl05 for the title.


	2. Chapter 2: Enter Neo

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule and Keinn Legwitz are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

Alliance prototype warship _Girty Lue_, bridge

* * *

Captain Neo Roanoke was a mystery even for many in Logos and Blue Cosmos. Tall, he wore a black uniform unlike any other seen in the Earth Forces, as well as a dark mask that covered the entire top of his head. His blonde hair was long enough to be seen beneath the mask.

"Here's where the fun begins," he murmured.

Commander Ian Lee, his XO, turned. "Sir?"

"We had the element of surprise, but that only lasts so long," Neo explained. "I knew something was going to go wrong as soon as we heard Silver Death was here." He grimaced. "Auel might dismiss him, but I don't. He's not as good a pilot as Zala, but he's a better strategist, and he knows a thing or two about security."

Lee frowned. "Sir, Neider does have a point. Strassmeier is only one man."

"Who just happens to be ZAFT's second ranking ace, _and_ a FAITH member on top of that," Neo countered. "No one from our forces has ever even come close to beating him in an even fight, and he's not our only problem here."

"Captain?" Lee sounded puzzled.

Neo chuckled humorlessly. "Strassmeier's wife is here with him, and _she's_ an ace pilot in her own right. Then there's the Hawk of Endymion, and we've confirmed Athrun Zala's presence as well. That's four aces, and while the Extendeds and the _Seraphim_ group are good, they're still rookies."

Lee growled at the mention of Mu La Flaga. "That traitor. What was he thinking, joining Orb?"

"I'll wager that he wasn't thinking," Neo said dryly. "It doesn't matter anyway. With any luck, _our_ La Flaga will take care of the Hawk." He frowned beneath his mask. "Which reminds me, Sting and the others are overdue."

Lee blinked at his CO's tone. "Orders, sir?"

"Open fire," Neo said. "It's time we gave them an exit."

* * *

Armory One interior

* * *

"Man, this is crazy," Luna said, watching her classmate's ZAKU hauling wreckage off of her own machine. "Who's attacking us, anyway?"

"Word is it's the Earth Forces," a mechanic said. "I heard there's an _Archangel_-class ship out there."

Luna closed her eyes. _Keinn's out there. He's crazy, and annoying, but he's still a friend. I hope he's all right._ "What about Shinn?"

"He's helping Commander Strassmeier with the stolen units," Rey said, tossing away one last piece of debris. "We'd better go, too."

"Right." Luna climbed into her ZAKU and checked the readouts. "Verniers are damaged," she said, disgusted. "Everything else is green."

"Good enough," Rey said. "Let's go help Shinn and the Commander."

* * *

Shinn glared at the three stolen Gundams. He'd hated the Earth Forces since before the Battle of Orb, a hatred that had only been strengthened by his time at the Academy. Now they were attacking ZAFT on its own ground, and Shinn was in a position to do something about it.

That wasn't his only concern, however. "Alex are you all right?" he asked. Normally he wouldn't be worried, but since his mentor was currently piloting a ZAKU with no Wizard pack, these weren't the best of circumstances.

There was a long pause. "I'm fine, Shinn," Alex said. "Cagalli's with me; we were meeting with Chairman Clyne when everything went nuts. I'd be willing to bet this is the Earth Forces attack I've been predicting."

"It is," Shinn confirmed. "The _Seraphim_ is outside…with five new Gundam models."

The outburst that followed made Shinn very glad that he didn't understand German. "Unfortunately, this is hardly a surprise," Alex said when he had calmed sufficiently to speak English. "Before we can deal with them, though, we have to deal with these three."

At that moment, the Abyss's fins opened, unleashing a spray of laser fire. The Chaos joined in with its weapon pods, while the Gaia drew a saber and charged.

"Oh, great." Shinn spun his combined blade, intercepting the Gaia's charge while avoiding the lasers entirely.

Alex's ZAKU was suddenly in motion again, his beam axe coming down over the Abyss's head. Auel jumped back, stabbing with his lance. The ZAKU dodged with contemptuous ease, actually grabbing the lance with its free hand and forcing the weapon upward.

Shinn, meanwhile, had been reduced to fighting the Gaia alone; Stellar had gotten between the Impulse and the Chaos, forcing Sting to check his fire. They were at a stalemate; Shinn was a better pilot, with stronger weapons, but the Gaia's sabers were faster.

"Bastard!" Stellar snarled, hurriedly parrying a sword attack.

"You're not getting away!" Shinn took a half step back, reached his machine's left hand up, and pulled a beam boomerang. He then hurled it forward, intending to decapitate the Gaia.

"I don't think so!" Stellar's rifle came up, vaporizing the thrown weapon.

Shinn cursed under his breath. The loss of a single beam boomerang wasn't a problem in and of itself, but the way it was destroyed showed that his opponents, however inexperienced, weren't ordinary pilots. It didn't make them unbeatable, but it did mean they were a greater threat than ordinary rookies.

A sudden explosion shook the colony, throwing Shinn off balance and knocking Alex's ZAKU right off its feet. Auel, who had apparently been expecting it, opened up on the ZAKU with his fin lasers. Most missed, but four beams slipped between the main body and the shield, blasting the left arm off.

Shinn stared in horror. "Alex! Are you all right!?"

There was a pause, followed by an explosive curse. "Cagalli's unconscious, and I'm a bit banged up," Alex said. "My machine's not doing too well."

"You'd best pull out, Commander," a new voice said. A white ZAKU Phantom with a Blaze pack appeared behind the Impulse, accompanied by a red ZAKU Warrior with a Gunner pack. "You're in no shape to continue battle," Rey Za Burrel continued.

"Rey's right," Luna said. "Please, sir, get to the _Minerva_. We'll take it from here."

The ZAKU pulled back. "Agreed," Alex said, sounding both worried and frustrated. Worried for Cagalli, frustrated that he had to leave the fight to others. "Be careful, you three, there's something very strange about these guys."

"We will be," Luna assured him.

The Alliance pilots ignored the fleeing machine. Their goal was escape, not combat, and a weaponless ZAKU was far less of a threat than two undamaged ZAKUs and a Gundam. Especially when the Gundam's pilot had already showed himself to be a very dangerous adversary.

_It's show time,_ Shinn thought grimly.

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

"One additional warship confirmed, ma'am," Bart Heim said. "Unknown design, but it definitely has Mirage Colloid."

"In direct violation of the Junius Treaty," Captain Talia Gladys said grimly. "Hardly surprising." She looked up over her left shoulder. "Any word from Shinn and the others, Meyrin?"

The young redhead frowned at her board. "Shinn says Luna and Rey have joined up with him, though Luna's ZAKU has sustained thruster damage due to debris. He also reports that Commander Strassmeier's ZAKU was damaged in combat with the Abyss. The Commander is on his way here."

"He'll probably launch in the Anubis right away," Talia commented.

Meyrin shook her head. "Not immediately, ma'am. Apparently Lady Cagalli is unconscious."

Talia winced. Alex Strassmeier was known to be extremely protective of his family. If his wife was injured… "Alert the infirmary, then, Meyrin."

"Yes, ma'am." Meyrin pressed a few keys, then froze, her jaw dropping in mingled disbelief and horror. "Captain, emergency call from Armory One! Several areas have been flooded with nerve gas!"

The command chair spun around. _"What!?"_

"Evacuations have commenced," Meyrin went on in a calmer voice. "No casualties so far."

"That's a relief, at least." Talia swung back to the front. "What about Chairman Clyne?"

Meyrin concentrated on her headset. "Commander Zala is bringing him aboard now," she said. "We have orders to prepare the Justice for immediate launch."

"Acknowledged," Talia said. Having Athrun Zala's Justice Gundam out there was guaranteed to give the Earth Forces pause.

Siegel Clyne was on the bridge moments later, his blue suit standing out against the ZAFT green of the crew. He said nothing, knowing that they were in a critical situation. Though not a military man himself, he was well aware of what they faced.

Outside, it was utter chaos. Mu La Flaga's Strike Gundam was engaged in a running duel with what looked like a development of GAT-X102 Duel. Keinn Legwitz's custom Murasame, meanwhile, was moving to engage four other new machines, which had attacked the defense forces directly.

"X09A Justice, connected to catapult," Meyrin said. "You're cleared for launch, Commander."

"Athrun Zala, Justice launching!"

Watching the crimson Gundam speed away, Siegel finally broke his silence. "What's the situation, Captain?"

Talia glanced up at him. "Three of the Second Stage units have been stolen by what we believe to be Earth Forces agents," she said. "Commander Strassmeier is on his way in with a damaged ZAKU, and Lady Cagalli is unconscious."

"Whoever caused that just earned the Commander's eternal hatred," Siegel said with a grimace. "What of the other attackers?"

"We've confirmed two warships, one unknown type -equipped with Mirage Colloid, in direct violation of the Junius Treaty- and the _Archangel_-class that survived Jachin," Talia said grimly. "Numerous mobile suits, including five new G-weapons. Commander La Flaga is engaging the lead machine, which appears to be piloted by a relative of his. We're holding, but it's very close."

Siegel sighed. "I see. Do what you must, Captain." He shook his head.

Talia looked at him curiously. "Is something wrong, Your Excellency?"

The Chairman shook himself. "As you probably know, Commander Strassmeier has been predicting a new war since the end of the last one. It appears that he was right."

"So it seems," Talia agreed. Then, to helmsman Malik Yardbirds, "Launch _Minerva_."

* * *

Open space, outside Armory One

* * *

_As if we didn't have enough problems,_ Keinn Legwitz thought, dodging fire from one of the new Alliance Gundams. His spinal mount beam cannon flashed, missing by centimeters. _Just who are these guys!?_

"You fight well," a German sounding voice said. "But your time is running out, Coordinator."

Keinn's lip curled in a sneer. "The name's Legwitz, freak, Keinn Legwitz. Who in blazes are you!?"

The other laughed harshly. "My name is Ensign Gustav Krieger," he said. His machine, visibly based on the destroyed GAT-X252 Forbidden Gundam, came to a brief halt in front of Keinn's Murasame. "This machine is the GAT-X263 Verboten." He brandished the Gundam's beam scythe. "I thought you should know who is going to destroy you."

"Don't get so full of yourself," Keinn snapped, his normal exuberance completely absent. Shifting to mobile suit mode, he drew his saber. "I graduated from Alex Strassmeier's special training course, pal. You don't even come close to that kind of challenge, even if you've got that stupid Geschmeidig Panzer."

Krieger laughed again. "Silver Death is vastly overrated, Legwitz." His scythe came up. "Enough talk, come at me!"

Keinn didn't bother replying. He swung his saber in a horizontal arc, clashing against the enemy's scythe. Krieger attempted to retaliate, but the nimble Murasame simply boosted out of range. A plasma shot splattered against the ZAFT pilot's shield; he promptly returned fire with his rifle.

"Humph! It would seem you have some skill," Krieger admitted.

Keinn laughed. "They don't give the red uniform to just anyone, pal, and the Murasame is the best mass-produced model ever built."

The Verboten's beam scythe slashed again. "It doesn't matter!" Krieger snarled. "The purity of our species must be maintained!"

"Yeesh, you sound like a Nazi." Keinn wheeled and spun, taking full advantage of the Murasame's superior agility.

"Exactly!" The Alliance pilot was starting to sound frustrated. "I am a student of Doctor Mengele!"

Keinn shook his head in disgust. "Mengele? Man, you _are_ nuts." A Dagger L came up behind; without missing a beat, Keinn turned, drew his beam saber, bisected the Dagger, and faced the Verboten once more. "And really, really SICK!"

"And you are a fool." The Gundam's railguns opened up.

The ZAFT pilot felt his stomach tighten. Though his Murasame was extremely powerful, it lacked the PSA that made Gundams so hard to kill. It had sufficient armor to shrug off machine gun fire, but the hyper-velocity railgun slugs were a far different matter. _My shield could take it, no problem, but they'd go through the machine's main body like tissue paper._

"Die!" Krieger shouted.

A red blur flashed past, blocking the railgun slugs along the way. "Not so fast!"

"Who dares!?" Krieger snarled. Then, getting a clear view of the new machine, "Zala!"

"That's right," Athrun Zala said. "I'm not going to let you have your way here!" He snapped the Justice's sabers together. "You won't get away with this!"

The neo-Nazi laughed. "You forget, Zala, that I'm not alone here!"

Athrun started to swing, then cursed as GAT-X371 Corsair rammed him in mobile armor mode. "These guys just don't give up," he muttered. "Keinn, sorry, but I've got my hands full. You're on your own."

"Got it, Commander," Keinn said, glaring at the Verboten. "You gave me some breathing space, and that's all I needed."

Krieger appeared to realize that as well, as he immediately went on the defensive, interposing his Geschmeidig Panzer between him and Keinn's bean rifle. Unfortunately, Keinn was also a skilled melee fighter. The Murasame's saber came out again, and he moved in to strike.

* * *

_Minerva_, hangar/infirmary

* * *

Alex swore viciously as he guided his badly damaged ZAKU into the new ship's hangar. The last time he'd suffered that kind of a near-death experience had been his encounter with ZGMF-X13A Providence during Operation Odin's Lance, and there he'd been in a Gundam.

_And there Cagalli wasn't in as much danger,_ he thought grimly, glancing over his shoulder at the unconscious form behind him. The explosion had hurled Cagalli forward, slamming her head into an instrument panel. Though bloody, as was typical of head wounds, it was also shallow, and Alex had torn a strip from his white jacket to serve as a bandage.

_I have to get her to the infirmary regardless._ Alex closed down his systems and opened the hatch. He then reached out and carefully lifted Cagalli, suddenly grateful for the free-fall conditions. _Now I just have to make sure I don't hit something. Lucky I grew up in space._

A mechanic met him on the deck. "Commander, are you all right?" Then he saw Alex's burden. "Lady Cagalli!"

"She's just unconscious, and the head wound looks worse than it is," Alex said, firmly suppressing his anger. "I need to get her to the infirmary."

The tech nodded. "Yes, of course, sir!" He waved his people away from the hatch, giving Alex a clear path.

Alex barely even noticed the corridor. One moment he was in the hangar, the next he was gently laying Cagalli on a bed. His usually expressionless face wore a look of cold fury. _Once again, those Alliance bastards have hurt my family. They'll pay for this._

Cagalli stirred, groaning softly. "What happened?" Her eyes opened. "Alex? Where are we?"

"In the infirmary on the _Minerva_," Alex said, gently squeezing her hand. "You hit your head in that ZAKU and were knocked out."

She felt at her head, her hand brushing over the bandage. "My head…how bad?"

"Not as bad as it looks; you know what head wounds are like." Alex brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You stay here and rest for a while. I'm going back out there, this time in the Anubis."

Cagalli met his gaze. Never able to conceal her feelings at the best of times, she was visibly worried. "Alex, are you sure?"

He kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be all right," he said. "If I could hold my own against those freaks in a ZAKU, I'll be just fine in a Gundam."

She looked unconvinced, but that was hardly surprising. "All right," she said reluctantly. "But I'm going with you next time," she went on in a stern voice.

Alex nodded. Even if he'd wanted to, he didn't dare challenge her directly when she was in that kind of mood. "You got it."

* * *

Armory One interior/open space

* * *

"I am getting really sick of these guys," Shinn growled, parrying a saber strike with one of his Excaliburs. "How did they get past our security!?"

Rey's beam rifle flashed, his shot narrowly missing the Chaos. "Now's not the time for that," he said. "We have to focus on recapturing those machines."

"Easier said than done," Luna said. She fired her beam cannon at the Abyss, only to see the shot impact on its left fin. "They're no ordinary pilots."

"I figured that out already, Luna," Shinn said. He drew his remaining boomerang and threw it, then swore as it vanished courtesy of the Abyss's Callidus. "Now if only we could-"

Another explosion rocked the colony just as Luna fired again. Thrown off balance, her attack blew a large hole in the colony wall instead.

"There's our way out!" Sting said. "Come on, let's go!" Auel moved to follow, but Stellar did not. "Stellar!"

Gaia's saber slashed again. "Not until I take _him_," Stellar snarled.

Sting clenched his fists. "If that's how you feel about it, then stay here and die!"

At the last word, Stellar froze in her seat, eyes going wide with terror. For a long moment she remained motionless, barely even breathing. Then, "D-die? No, no!" Breaking off, she bolted, trying desperately to escape the fear Sting's words had evoked.

Shinn blinked. "What's with that guy?" He shook his head, then keyed his comm. "_Minerva_, I need better equipment. Send me the Force pack, will you?"

"Acknowledged," Meyrin said promptly. "Force Silhouette is en route."

_Now we wait,_ Rey thought. "Luna, you and I will cover Shinn until the Force pack gets here."

"Right." Luna's ZAKU moved to stand beside Rey's.

They didn't have long to wait. After mere minutes of trading energy fire with the stolen Gundams, a remote flyer unit arrived. Positioning itself directly behind the Impulse, the remains of the Sword pack were switched out in favor of a flight module startlingly similar to the Strike's Aile pack.

Impulse's PSA switched from red to blue overall, and Shinn Asuka smiled.

Sting's eyes widened. "That…that's just like the Strike! What _is_ that thing!?"

"Your worst nightmare," Shinn said, and moved.

His thrusters flared, accelerating the Impulse at a rate very nearly quadruple that of the Sword pack. The Extendeds, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, fled through the hole Luna had accidentally blown in the colony wall.

Rey joined Shinn in the pursuit, but Luna hung back. "Sorry guys," she said, glaring at her status readouts. "My thrusters are too badly damaged."

"Get to the _Minerva_, Luna," Rey told her. "Commander Strassmeier should be there by now."

"Roger that."

Shinn ignored them, repeatedly firing his rifle at the fleeing Gundams. While he understood the desire to get them back intact, he also understood that the important thing was to keep those machines out of the Alliance's hands. _If we have to destroy them, then we'll destroy them._

The Extendeds burst into open space, followed closely by the Impulse and Rey's white Phantom. Immediately, two of the new GAT models, X150 Terra and X135 Catastrophe, moved to intercept the ZAFT units. On their heels was Keinn's Murasame, which had broken free of the duel with the Verboten.

"Shinn, Rey, are you all right!?" Keinn called.

"We're fine, Keinn," Rey said. "Luna sustained damage to her thrusters, so she's heading straight for the _Minerva_."

"Roger roger," Keinn replied. "Commander Zala's out here in the Justice, but he's busy right now."

Shinn spun, firing his rifle at the Terra. "Forget it, Keinn. We'll just have to take care of it ourselves."

* * *

_Girty Lue_, bridge

* * *

Neo frowned behind his mask. "A fourth prototype?"

"Yes, sir," Lee confirmed. "We've also confirmed the presence of ZGMF-X09A Justice."

"Athrun Zala," Neo said. "Figures. All right, prepare my Exus for launch."

Lee looked up at him in surprise. "You're going out there yourself, sir? Are you sure that's wise?"

"The Hawk of Endymion is out there, and he has the same abilities I do," Neo reminded him. "Not to mention old Silver Death does, too, and his machine is more powerful than La Flaga's." Something tingled on the edge of his consciousness. _And there's another one like me in the area, too,_ he added silently. He turned to leave. "Keep things going while I'm gone, Ian."

"Understood, sir."

* * *

Open space

* * *

ZGMF-X14A Anubis burst out of the _Minerva_'s catapult. Almost instantly, Alex was beset by a trio of Dagger Ls, which fell quickly to his rifle. _Three down. Now, where are the Gundams?_ A laser blast from the Terra scorched past him. _Oh,_ there_ they are._ He brought up his shield.

"Not so fast, Silver Death," a cold voice said over the comm.

_Why do they keep calling me that?_ "And who might you be, Alliance scum?"

"Normally, I wouldn't dignify that with an answer," was the reply, "but you're a special case. My name is Terrence Starr, Ensign, Atlantic Federation Navy."

Alex snorted. "I thought as much. So tell me, why is the Atlantic Federation launching an unprovoked attack on a ZAFT facility?"

"This isn't unprovoked," Starr countered, firing again. "Your existence is provocation enough."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "You sound like the late, unlamented William Sutherland," he said icily. "Very well. If our existence is sufficient provocation, then I have no choice but to terminate you." His DRAGOONs swept out, enveloping the Terra in a green web. Starr, displaying a surprising amount of skill, adroitly dodged the attack.

_He's good._ Recalling the DRAGOONs, Alex put on a burst of speed. Starr drew a beam saber, apparently believing that Alex intended to do the same; instead, Alex energized the Shirasaya beam sword hidden in his shield. He then sliced upwards, very nearly severing the Terra's right arm at the shoulder.

"You're a worthy adversary, Strassmeier," Starr conceded, backing away. "Nevertheless, you're a Coordinator, so I have no choice but to destroy you."

Alex raised his rifle. "Your inexperience is starting to show!" Energy blasts lanced out, metronome-precise, forcing the Terra even farther back. He took careful aim one last time. "This will end it, Starr." He started to squeeze the trigger, but a green beam flashed past from the side, forcing him to break off. At the same time, a familiar sensation filled his mind. "What the?"

A pink-and-white mobile armor was visible off to his left. "Not so fast," the pilot said. "I don't like it when people bully rookies."

Alex muttered a curse. He recognized the design from intelligence reports. _TS-MA4F Exus, successor to the Moebius Zero. Equipped with wireless gunbarrels, which have both beam cannons and some kind of saber. Wonderful._

"So this is the Spider of Artemis," the Alliance pilot continued. "Nice machine you've got there, but my Exus isn't just any mobile armor. I'll bet you already knew that, though."

"I did indeed," Alex said, glaring at the mobile armor. "Perhaps you'd care to explain why the Earth Alliance launched an unprovoked attack on a ZAFT facility. And don't bother denying your affiliation; three of your pilots, Starr, Mu's cousin, and that sociopath in the Forbidden knockoff, openly identified themselves as Earth Forces."

The mobile armor's linear cannons spat at him. Alex ignored it; such weapons were useless against PSA. "Sure, we're Earth Forces," the other said. "You're right, no point denying it." A masked face appeared on Alex's comm screen. "The name's Roanoke, kid, Captain Neo Roanoke."

A chill went down Alex's spine. _Roanoke, there's no one by that name in our files. What's going on here? Who _is_ this guy!? And why…why does that voice sound familiar?_ "Well, Captain Roanoke, I'm afraid I can't let you continue. You've attacked my homeland, and one of your pilots almost killed my wife. They, and you, will pay the price."

Roanoke didn't bother replying. His wireless gunbarrels swept out, firing as they came. Cursing in German under his breath, Alex activated his DRAGOON beam shield, buying himself some breathing space. Despite his fondness for such weapons, he'd never liked fighting against them. _Omnidirectional attacks are a real pain when you're on the receiving end._

His thoughts chopped off as a green mobile suit almost collided with him. Once he'd regained his balance, he recognized it as a rumored mass-production model of the GAT-X207 Blitz. _Nuclear powered, as I recall. Another violation of the Junius Treaty._

The Gundam in question faded out of Mirage Colloid a moment later, and blasted the enemy mobile suit to dust. "You may be nuclear powered, but you still can't beat the original!" Nicol Amalfi said.

"Thanks, Nicol," Alex said, then brought up his shield in time to intercept a beam attack. "You're very persistent, Roanoke."

"Comes with the job description, Spider," the other said. "I'm Earth Forces, you're ZAFT, simple as that."

Hearing something ominous in Roanoke's tone, Alex threw his machine backwards just as the Exus's gunbarrels deployed again. One shot splashed against the Anubis's shield, the rest missed completely. Neo followed up with a missile salvo, apparently a diversionary tactic; Alex, unimpressed, shot the missiles down with carefully timed CIWS bursts.

"My turn." Alex's DRAGOONs swept out yet again, firing with almost demonic precision. All four of Roanoke's gunbarrels exploded, one after another.

"You're good," the masked man said, sounding unruffled. "You've won this round, but that doesn't mean you'll catch me!"

Alex frowned, then yelped in surprise as his machine jumped under him. The new GAT-models had abandoned their individual fights, and were now providing covering fire for Roanoke and the stolen Gundams. Alex had just taken three shots from the Terra in rapid succession on his shield.

"Running away, J.-P.!?" Mu La Flaga snarled, his own weapon flashing.

The younger man laughed harshly. "We have what we came for, Mu. There's nothing to be gained by fighting the likes of you and Silver Death."

"Yeah!? What about us!?" Keinn Legwitz demanded.

"Calm down, Legwitz," Athrun said. "Aside from my Justice and Alex's Anubis, all of our machines are low on power. We'll have to let them go for now."

Alex ignored the grumbling from the younger pilots, save for Rey. He agreed with Athrun; even with the Anubis and Justice, they would be hard pressed to defeat all five of the new Gundams, even though they were probably low on power as well.

_Besides, we don't know what other cards they have to play._ "I agree, Athrun. Suggest that all units rendezvous with _Minerva_."

"Agreed," Athrun said.

The wisdom of that course was shown moments later. Once the Exus and stolen Gundams had docked with the mysterious enemy ship, there was a blinding flash. When it faded, both the newcomer and the _Seraphim_ had vanished.

* * *

_Minerva_, hangar

* * *

Shinn wearily dragged himself out of the cockpit and pulled off his helmet. "Man, what a mess," he said, running a hand through his sweat-soaked black hair.

"Tell me about it," Keinn agreed, pushing away from his red Murasame. "My first battle, and I end up fighting a neo-Nazi."

Shinn blinked, looking at his friend in surprise. "You sure about that, Keinn?"

"The bastard admitted it," Keinn said sourly. "Said he was a student of Doctor Mengele."

Shinn grimaced at that. After learning about Alex's background, he'd read up on some German history, and he knew the name Mengele. _Anyone who admires _that_ guy is beyond psycho. _"He was the one piloting that Forbidden knockoff?"

Keinn nodded. "That's him. He kept ranting about preserving the 'purity of our species' or something like that."

"Sounds like Blue Cosmos," Shinn muttered. "Figures."

"We may have bigger problems than just another sociopath," Rey said, joining them. "Did you see that mobile armor that Commander Strassmeier fought?"

Shinn nodded slowly. "Yeah. One of the new Exus units, wasn't it? I've seen pictures."

"Exactly," Rey said. "And the Earth Forces don't have the special AI like Lady Cagalli's Akatsuki. What does that tell you?"

Keinn looked blank, but Shinn swore. "That we've got someone like you and Alex," he snarled. "Just great!"

"Asuka's right," Mu La Flaga said from above. He was going over the Strike with a mechanic. "I felt his presence, but I was too busy tussling with my wacko cousin to help. Not that Alex needed my help."

Shinn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Right then, he wanted nothing more than to collapse on his bunk. He had a feeling that sleep was going to be in short supply for a while. _A tired pilot is a dead pilot,_ he thought, recalling his mentor's training. _If I'm going to take on three machines equal to mine, then I'd better be rested._

"You guys had better get some rest," Mu said as though he'd read Shinn's mind. "Believe me, you're gonna need it."

Shinn pushed off. _First the showers, then sleep._ Somehow, he had a feeling it was going to be a very long week.

* * *

Bridge

* * *

Athrun felt almost as tired as Shinn and the others. He hadn't flown against a Gundam since Jachin Due two years before, and the Corsair had been a particularly nasty opponent. He'd had the edge in skill, but whoever had been in the Corsair was no slouch.

He looked at the white-uniformed man near Meyrin's station. Alex's battle had been, in some respects, even nastier. It was rare for a machine with remote weapons to make its presence felt. Indeed, Athrun knew of exactly five machines in Orb and ZAFT hands with such weapons, the Akatsuki, Anubis, Dreadnought, and Strike Gundams, and Morgan Chevalier's custom 105 Dagger.

"The Earth Forces seemed to have learned some new tricks," Alex was saying. His mild tone didn't fool Athrun, who knew him well enough to detect the edge of fury in his otherwise cool voice. "Aside from the nerve gas attack, it was almost a carbon-copy of Rau Le Creuset's attack on Heliopolis. A crack commando team was inserted in order to capture new mobile suits."

Siegel Clyne sighed. "The Alliance has become increasingly barbaric in their methods," he said grimly. "In some ways, this is worse than Junius Seven."

"Nerve gas is a more insidious weapon than a nuke," Alex agreed, giving Athrun an apologetic glance. "And I'd be willing to bet Armory One was only the first step. There are several join projects going on between MMI and Morgenroete."

Talia Gladys spun in her chair. "Are you saying Orb will be attacked?" she asked, sounding more than a little stunned.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Alex reminded her. "You know as well as I do that they've never been happy with our alliance, and their so-called press was well nigh apoplectic when Cagalli and I got married. 'Orb Noble Marries Space Monster' was the most common headline, as I recall." His shoulders twitched. "I admit it's unlikely; Orb is even more heavily defended than Carpentaria Base, after all." An understatement, that, since Orb was home to the _Archangel_ and Kira Yamato. "Nevertheless, they do need to be informed."

"I agree," Siegel said. "Captain?"

Talia nodded sharply. "Understood, Your Excellency." She turned to Meyrin Hawke.

"In the meantime," Alex said, "we need to track down those stolen machines. The fact that this Roanoke was flying off a ship equipped with Mirage Colloid makes me uneasy."

"You and me both," Athrun agreed. "My father concealed GENESIS that way, but he had a lot more power to use."

"All too true," Siegel said. "In any case, I will leave the military aspect to the three of you." He looked at Talia. "Is there likely to be any need for flight operations at this time?"

She shook her head. "Not unless we're surprise attacked."

Siegel nodded. "In that case, Commander Strassmeier, I believe you should see to your wife."

Alex hesitated; Athrun read the mixture of his stubborn sense of duty and concern for Cagalli in his eyes. Then he nodded curtly and departed.

"He seems fairly out of sorts," _Minerva_'s XO, Arthur Trine, commented. His voice had a pronounced British accent.

"Mister Trine, Alex hates the Earth Forces, and his wife is injured," Athrun told him. "Of course he's out of sorts."

Siegel rubbed his temples wearily. There were times he wished he could return to the time when he and Patrick Zala had been planning the PLANTs' initial rebellion. Cliché though it was, things had seemed so much simpler back then.

He was very glad Lacus was in Orb.

"In any case, Alex is right," Athrun said. "We need to recapture or destroy those machines if at all possible. They're not much advanced over the Heliopolis line, but they're still very dangerous in the hands of skilled pilots, and far superior to any mass-produced unit, save perhaps the new Murasames."

"I understand," Talia said. "Don't worry, Commander, Shinn and the others can handle it. They may be green, but they learned from the best."

Athrun nodded silently, recalling his own encounters with Alex Strassmeier before Yzak's cold-blooded cousin had joined ZAFT. _Not as good as Kira, but that's not saying much._

All in all, he was glad of it.

* * *

Alex and Cagalli's quarters

* * *

Alex carefully secured the fresh bandage to Cagalli's head. "That should do it," he said. "How does it feel?"

"Like someone whacked me over the head with a sledgehammer," she grumbled, wincing. "But I'll be good to go for the next round."

"Don't be so sure," Alex said, frowning. "That was a nasty hit you took-"

Cagalli glared at him, and his mouth closed with an almost audible snap. "It's not as bad as what happened to you at Panama, and you were back up inside a week," she said.

"We weren't on a constant state of alert after Panama," he countered. "Here-"

"Alex, I have a minor cut on my forehead; _you_ had your face laid open," she interrupted. "Anyway, I'm going next time, and that's final."

Alex opened his mouth to argue further, then closed it again when she gave him a deadly glare. One of these days, he promised himself, he would either learn when not to push with her, or find the right buttons to push to get her to cooperate. Probably the former.

"All right," he said at last, wrapping an arm around her waist. "But you be careful out there, got that? That sociopath Buer nearly killed you at Orb, and these guys look a lot better. Not to mention Mu's cousin and those others."

Cagalli snuggled up to him. "I will," she said softly, seeing the worry in his eyes. She reminded herself that Alex had been through worse than anything she herself had experienced. "Do you think this will result in all-out war?"

"I think it's inevitable," he admitted. "This was no mere test of our resolve, it was an attempt both to gain new technology for themselves and to damage our war making capability." He smiled. "Don't worry, Cagalli. This hasn't turned out well for us, but we're still in the game."

She closed her eyes, leaning against him. "I know. It's just, I was kinda hoping it wouldn't happen again."

"It was inevitable," Alex repeated. "Conflict will never disappear; Durandal's right about that. All we can do is try to minimize the damage, and rebuild when it's over."

Cagalli sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

Author's note: I apologize if the battle was lacking in some way or other. The problem with Armory One is that there is a great deal happening at once, so it's hard to keep track of.

Next, the chase continues, and the new Seiran begins his own journey.


	3. Chapter 3: Pursuit

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule and Keinn Legwitz are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

Kyoji Seiran's office, Orb Union

* * *

Leonard Phillips hated his job. He hated being assigned to the Atlantic Federation's embassy in Orb, even though he was the ambassador. He hated having to deal with that bastard Athha, and he hated even more when he had to deal with the Coordinators in the Orb government.

Like now.

A purple-haired teenager in the silver-white of Orb's military rose behind his desk. "Ambassador Phillips," Kyoji Uzuki Seiran said, inclining his head in greeting.

"Lord Seiran," Phillips said, carefully hiding his distaste. He hadn't shed any tears for Yuna, but he'd seen a kindred spirit in Unato. "You wanted to see me, my lord?" His eyes flickered briefly at a third individual. Though the youngster wore a black uniform, his blue eyes and silver hair marked him as the eldest of Ezalia Joule's offspring.

"Colonel Joule is here representing Lady Sahaku," Seiran said. "And yes, I did want to see you. Lord Uzumi would have handled this himself, but he had other pressing business."

Phillips nodded. "I see, my lord."

"As for why," Seiran said, his gray eyes hardening, "it concerns recent events at L4."

The ambassador decided to feign ignorance, playing for time. "Recent events?"

"Don't play ignorant with me, Ambassador," Seiran said coldly, all trace of urbanity gone from his face and voice. "Your forces launched an unprovoked attack on the ZAFT facility known as Armory One, an attack which involved a warship equipped with Mirage Colloid -a direct violation of the Junius Treaty- and the use of nerve gas inside the colony itself. Do you have an explanation for this?"

Despite all his efforts at self-control, Phillips couldn't help blinking in surprise. He hadn't expected the usually sophisticated Kyoji Seiran to be that blunt. "I have no knowledge of this, my lord."

"I'm sure you don't," Seiran said even more coldly. "However, the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable. You personally may have no knowledge of it, but it doesn't matter." He sat behind his desk. "Give your superiors this message: Orb will assist its ally in this matter as stipulated by treaty, and no interference from any Earth Alliance member state will be tolerated."

Phillips forcibly restrained his temper. _Arrogant space monster._ "I will relay that, my lord. Is there anything else?"

Seiran shook his head. "No, Mister Ambassador. Good day."

* * *

When the Alliance official had gone, Kyoji dropped his formal attitude. "Man, I hate that," he grumbled, leaning back in his chair.

"More like you hate _him_," Samorei Joule said with a grin. "I don't blame you, but he's not the worst the Atlantic Federation has to offer," he went on in a softer tone that Kyoji had no difficulty interpreting. Sam hated the Earth Alliance even more than most PLANT natives did, after what had happened to his aunt, uncle, and cousin.

"He's not the worst," Kyoji conceded, "but he's up there. Still, it's not just him I hate; diplomacy has never been my strong suit."

Sam had to agree. One of the reasons he'd come to like the young Seiran was his willingness to fight. Kyoji Uzuki Seiran never had been and never would be a mealy-mouthed politician. Not that Sam hated all politicians; he was, after all, the son of one and the husband of another.

"I have to wonder what they're up to, though," the youngster went on. "I expected him to flat-out deny that the Atlantic Federation had anything to do with the Armory One attack. Instead, he just claimed not to have any knowledge."

"You probably caught him by surprise," Sam opined. "Politicians don't usually talk to diplomats like that; it's not how the game is played."

Kyoji raised an eyebrow. "Is that Lady Sahaku's influence?"

"Kyoji, I grew up with this stuff," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "We don't have a full-blown aristocracy like you do, but it's still politics."

Kyoji gave a noncommittal grunt. "Whatever."

Though he had only held the title for just under two years, Kyoji was already sick of politics. A warrior by training and disposition, he regarded politics as a necessary evil (sometimes an unnecessary one) at the best of times. He would much rather face an invading army solo than muck about in the double-dealing and triple-crossing that was the lifeblood of international politics. Only his fervent support for Uzumi Nara Athha kept him at it at all.

A familiar pink-haired figure appeared in the doorway. "Am I disturbing you, Kyoji?" Lacus asked.

He smiled tiredly, waving her to a chair across from Sam. "Of course not, Lacus," he said. "I just finished a meeting with the Atlantic Federation's ambassador, so I could use some friendly company."

"I thought something had happened," Lacus said, sitting in the indicated chair. "I passed him on my way here, and he did seem rather put out."

"Only put out?" Sam asked in tones of feigned surprise. "Lord Seiran here ate him alive."

Kyoji grinned. "I basically gave him the third degree about the Earth Forces attack on Armory One. He claimed ignorance, but you know as well as I do the bastard was probably lying through his teeth."

"I wish it wasn't so, but you're probably right," Lacus said sadly. "With the Atlantic Federation controlled by Blue Cosmos, it is very unlikely that someone in a sensitive post like their embassy here in Orb would be unaware of the truth."

"Exactly," Kyoji said. "Commander Strassmeier was right, it's only a matter of time before things heat up again in a big way."

Sam snorted. "I'd say they already have."

"True," Kyoji said, then turned as his desk comm buzzed. "Seiran," he said.

A brown-haired woman appeared on the screen. "Lord Seiran, this is Erica Simmons," she said. "We've found something in one of the deep hangars that I think you should see."

Kyoji blinked. "The deep hangars? Weren't those sealed off years ago?"

"They were," Simmons confirmed. "However, Lord Uzumi asked us to see if there was anything useful buried in there, and I think we've hit the jackpot."

Kyoji nodded. "All right, I'll be right down."

"I wonder what she's so excited about," Sam said, frowning slightly. "I've known her for years, and I don't think I've ever seen her quite like that before."

"I'll find out when I get there," Kyoji said, moving for the door. "Later, Sam, Lacus."

He had a feeling he was going to enjoy this.

* * *

Morgenroete Deep Hangar Number One, Onogoro Island

* * *

"All right, Chief, just what is it you wanted me to see?" Kyoji asked. "I'm not complaining, mind you; it beats talking to that worthless excuse for an ambassador. It's just kinda strange."

"The whole thing is strange," Simmons said. "You'll see for yourself in a minute."

Kyoji sneezed. "Hopefully it'll be less dusty."

They emerged onto a more or less standard catwalk, in front of what was unmistakably a mobile suit. It didn't look much like contemporary mobile suits, however, despite its humanoid appearance. The machine was mostly white, with dark gray trim and a red crest of some sort on the head. Instead of the double optics employed by Gundams and Orb machines or the monoeye system used by the majority of ZAFT units, it had more of a visor-like system.

"What is that thing?" Kyoji asked, awed.

"The MSX-1 Tallgeese," Simmons told him. "Quite possibly the first military mobile suit design, built in the early sixties, then put into storage."

Kyoji stared. "Put into _storage_!? Why did they do that!?"

"Aside from Uzumi himself, there wasn't much support for the military use of mobile suits at the time," Simmons said. "The designer wound up emigrating to the PLANTs, where he participated in the development of the GINN."

"Is he still up there?" Kyoji couldn't take his eyes off the Tallgeese.

Simmons shook her head. "He died in C.E. 70, in the Copernicus bombing. I only learned about this when perusing his old files."

Kyoji nodded. "Why bother, though? This thing has to obsolete."

"Like the Freedom, Justice, and Anubis, the Tallgeese was well ahead of its time," Simmons said. "Since it was built before the advent of the N-Jammers, it has a fission reactor, and NJCs are small enough that adding one won't pose much of a problem. Aside from that, the only real upgrade we need is in the computer, and Captain Yamato can take care of that."

Kyoji didn't answer at first. "So there's no need to alter the armament?"

"There isn't much to alter, and what it does have is more than sufficient," Simmons said. "A single beam cannon, and a saber stored in the shield."

The Orb noble gave her a puzzled look. "That's not much."

"It doesn't really need anything more," Simmons said. "You see, it is one of the fastest mobile suits ever built. Thanks to the 'super vernier' system, it can outrun and outmaneuver almost any other machine in existence, despite its bulk. Captain Yamato's Freedom could catch it, and the new Murasames could conceivably keep up, but not much else could, certainly nothing the Alliance has right now."

"I see," Kyoji said. "That still doesn't explain why you're showing it to me."

Simmons smiled. "I thought you might want to take it for a spin, Lord Kyoji, or should I say, Commodore Seiran."

A smile slowly spread over the young noble's face. "Yes, I think I would, at that."

* * *

_Girty Lue_, bridge

* * *

An image of ZGMF-X24S Chaos slowly rotated on Neo's screen. _Impressive,_ he thought, shifting to the Abyss and then Gaia. _ZAFT sure knows what they're doing, and this deuterion-beam recharge system could come in handy. _If_ we can reverse-engineer it._

The existence of the fourth prototype worried him. His superiors had learned of three of the new Gundams thanks to a shuttle overflight of one of their training runs. There had been no sign of the Strike-lookalike that they'd faced at Armory One.

"I never would have thought there would be a fourth unit," Ian Lee said, echoing Neo's thoughts.

"Neither did I, and I don't like it," Neo agreed. "It's too much like the Strike, and the pilot is obviously something else."

Lee nodded. "I pulled what we have on him," he said. "It's not much, but we do know that he trained under Alex Strassmeier."

_That_ explained a great deal. Strassmeier was well known as a highly skilled and ruthless adversary; anyone who trained directly under him was not someone to take lightly. "Just how good is he?"

"Good enough to ace every test Strassmeier could come up with," Lee said sourly. "That's bad for us, sir."

"You got _that_ right," Neo said. "Old Silver Death almost had me at Armory One; I don't like the idea of taking on his star pupil."

The comm officer turned in his chair. "Captain Roanoke, we have an incoming transmission from the _Seraphim_. It's Commander Hunter."

An expressionless blue-eyed face appeared on the screen. "Captain Roanoke," Xavier Hunter said. His voice was as cold as a winter night.

"Commander Hunter," Neo acknowledged coolly. He'd never much cared for Hunter; the man redefined the expression "cold fish". "What do you want?"

Hunter didn't even twitch at Neo's thinly veiled distaste. "You are aware of our pursuit?"

Neo snorted. "You mean the new warship with four of the top aces from the last war? Yeah. What about it?"

"I believe that we must deal with it soon," Hunter said. "Do you agree?"

Neo nodded slowly. "We're heading for the Debris Belt. You figure we can ambush them?"

"There is a good chance of it," Hunter said. "With your ship's stealth capabilities, along with the machines you acquired, we should be able to eliminate them."

_You hope._ "All right. We'll try it."

"Acknowledged."

Lee shook his head. "I don't like him, sir," he said. "I don't think he changed tone or expression at all there."

Neo shrugged. "I don't like him, either, but it doesn't matter. Besides, he was right that we need to take out that warship before it takes us out."

Lee nodded slowly. "Do we send out the Extendeds?"

"Yeah, with a few Daggers as support." Neo shrugged. "I'll probably head out there myself, now that my Exus is fixed." He smiled. "And maybe we can catch the Spider in his own web…"

* * *

_Minerva_, crew lounge

* * *

It wasn't the central hub of his home colony, but it still provided a soothing view of the stars. He needed that badly, in the wake of the attack on Armory One. _Even in the darkest times, the stars always gave me a sense of calm._

Alex sighed. Though he had been predicting war for the better part of two years, he still didn't understand why the Earth Forces had chosen to attack when they did. For that matter, he had no idea how they'd managed to breach Armory One's security, and that bothered him.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you."

He didn't bother to turn. "Not at all, Athrun. Had a touch of insomnia, so I came here to think."

"Without Cagalli?" Athrun sounded mildly amused. "That's not like you."

Alex grunted. "She's asleep, and I didn't want to wake her. If she wants to go with us next time, she needs as much time to heal as possible."

Athrun nodded in understanding. He too was worried about Cagalli; the fact that she was his best friend's sister guaranteed a certain closeness.

"I've always loved watching the stars," Alex said softly. "Even during the chaos of the Mandelbrot Incident and the subsequent blockade, the endless void of space calmed me."

"I know what you mean," Athrun said. "The stars always look peaceful." He glanced at the older man sidelong. "So why now?"

Alex was silent for a moment. "Something about the events of the past couple of days disturbs me," he said at last. "Part of it is that Captain Roanoke; there's something familiar about him, but I can't put my finger on it." His shoulders twitched. "No matter, I'll figure it out eventually."

Athrun joined him by the viewport. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm still alive," he said. "You and I both lost our parents. Friends died in the last war, Kira was almost killed by Rau Le Creuset, Orb suffered under Alliance occupation, it just doesn't end."

"You're right, it doesn't end," Alex agreed. "And since it doesn't end, we need to have the power to mitigate the damage, to defend ourselves. That's why we built the Second Stage Gundams and the New Millennium series." He shook his head. "Never thought I'd agree with Durandal on anything, but there it is."

The hatch opened behind them. "You don't trust Representative Durandal, Alex?" Shinn asked; he'd come in in time to hear Alex's last remark.

Alex snorted. "Shinn, I'd sooner trust a Blue Cosmos operative. At least they're honest about their objectives, unlike Durandal."

Shinn looked taken aback. "Alex?" he said, sounding unsure of what he'd heard.

Alex exchanged a glance with Athrun, who nodded. "Shinn, there is more to Gilbert Durandal than meets the eye," he said. "Are you familiar with the Ultimate Coordinator project?"

Shinn blinked. "Huh?"

"Of course you wouldn't be." Alex shook his head. "Anyway, as the name suggests, it was an attempt to create the ultimate Coordinator. I myself am a sort of byproduct, enhanced in specific areas. There was, however, one success: Kira Yamato."

Shinn's jaw dropped. "Your brother-in-law!?"

"Exactly." Alex nodded. "Cagalli was given the more 'standard' Coordinator treatments. The operative point, though, is who the principal developers were: Kira and Cagalli's biological father, Ulen Hibiki, my own father, Klaus Strassmeier…and Gilbert Durandal."

If possible, Shinn looked even more astounded. "Representative Durandal? But…how is that possible? He's only in his thirties now, back then he'd have been…"

"About twelve; he's thirty-two now," Alex said. "That makes him a boy genius even by our standards. In any case, he's never even hinted at his involvement. Plus, Mikhail Coast told me that Durandal always had his own agenda. That combined with the fact that he was Rau Le Creuset's personal physician makes me very uneasy."

Shinn managed a nod. _No wonder he's been so tense; he's not just worried about the war, but our own government, too._ Then another thought occurred to him. _Rey…_ "Alex, what about Rey?" He hesitated. "Representative Durandal sponsored his entrance to the Academy…"

Alex shook his head firmly. "I don't want to turn you against your teammate; there's a good chance his connection to Durandal is entirely innocent." He carefully didn't add that Talia Gladys worried him more, since she and Durandal had once been lovers. "Just don't let your guard down."

"I understand." Shinn decided a change of subject was in order. "Is Cagalli all right?"

Alex waved a hand. "Her wound is superficial; I was worse off after Panama. She'll be ready to fight soon enough. Not that I'd try to stop her," he added in a dust-dry tone.

Shinn laughed. He'd gotten to know Cagalli well enough since graduating to be able to envision just what his mentor was talking about. Getting in her way when she was in her determined mode was a dicey proposition at best.

Alex stretched. "I'd best get some sleep. You should do the same, Shinn."

"I will, sir," Shinn replied, watching the two aces leave. He stayed for a while, though, gazing out at the stars.

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

The crew was tense, Talia noted. Not that she blamed them; their pursuit of _Seraphim_ and the mysterious Bogey One had taken them to the edge of the Debris Belt, and few went there willingly. It was a logical way for the Earth Forces to shake anyone tailing them.

"We've definitely picked up the _Seraphim_," Heim said. "No sign of Bogey One."

"As expected," Talia commented. "They do have Mirage Colloid, after all."

Heim nodded, then straightened. "Bogey One detected, ma'am! It's near an old resource satellite."

She nodded sharply. "Acknowledged," she said, then turned to Meyrin Hawke. "Sound Condition Red."

"Yes, ma'am!" Meyrin touched an intercom switch. "The _Minerva_ is entering Condition Red, all pilots to your mobile suits. Repeat, the _Minerva_ is entering Condition Red, all pilots to your mobile suits."

Talia focused on the main monitor. She knew it wasn't going to be easy; two warships, one of them _Archangel_-class, along with seven Gundams and an undetermined number of Daggers, plus the mysterious Neo Roanoke's Exus, against the _Minerva_ and its crew. Not exactly a favorable balance of forces.

"Engage the enemy," she said.

* * *

_Minerva_, hangar/open space

* * *

Shinn strapped into the Core Splendor and flipped the tech a salute. "Ready for action," he said.

"Roger that," Meyrin said. "Connected to catapult. Course clear for launch."

"Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor launching!" G-forces pushed him back in his seat, and then he was clear. The various component flyers followed him out, linking up around the small fighter unit. Since they were facing two warships, one of them _Archangel_-class, he was using the Blast pack.

Four other Gundams leapt off the ship, Anubis, Akatsuki, Justice, and Strike. "What are we dealing with?" Alex asked, all business.

"Checking." Meyrin rapidly tapped her board. "All three stolen Second Stage units confirmed, along with the five from the _Seraphim_ and an undetermined number of Dagger Ls."

"Figures," Mu grumbled. "All right, I'll take J.-P." His machine pealed off.

Keinn's Murasame waggled its wings. "Time for a rematch with that Nazi!" he said, and followed Mu.

Shinn started to respond, but broke off to dodge a hail of laser fire. _The Gaia again._ This time the black machine was coming at him in its mobile armor form, beam blades active. _This probably isn't the best equipment, but I'll still take it!_ He grinned suddenly, recalling Alex's description of the Gaia.

"It can't decide if it wants to be a Gundam or a BuCUE," the Spider had said, shaking his head. "It has merit, though."

Unfortunately, that was working against the ZAFT pilot. X88S Gaia was more maneuverable than the Impulse in Blast mode, and Stellar was making the most of it. She adroitly dodged the slow-firing beam cannons, and transformed long enough to block a laser blast with her shield.

"Just great," Shinn muttered, watching the Gaia transform again. "This is gonna take forever."

Another red blast streaked past, narrowly missing the stolen Gundam. "Need some help, Shinn?" Luna called.

He grinned at the red ZAKU. "Thanks, Luna."

Stellar glared at the two ZAFT machines. "You'll pay for that!" she snarled.

"Shinn, I'll take this one," Luna said, boosting away. "That Calamity-lookalike is headed your way, watch out."

"Got it," Shinn acknowledged. "Be careful." He turned to the enemy machine, GAT-X135 Catastrophe. "You're mine."

* * *

It was quite possible that Auel Neider didn't know just what he had provoked at Armory One. Piloting his new Gundam against the Spider of Artemis had given him a confidence boost. Unfortunately for him, Alex had been in a minimally-armed ZAKU at the time; now he was in his Gundam, a machine that combined with his skill had earned him another alias.

There was a reason that Alex Strassmeier, ZAFT's second-ranking ace, was known to the Earth Forces as Silver Death.

Alex smirked as ZGMF-X31S Abyss turned to face him. "You won't have it so easy this time, _schweinhund_," he said softly. "This isn't a ZAKU, it's a Gundam. You might be in one as well, but I have the edge in skill, experience, and raw power."

"Time to die, Spider!" Auel shouted. His fins lasers and Callidus beam cannon opened up simultaneously.

Alex's smirk widened. "Too weak." His DRAGOONs formed up around him, activating the energy shield. When the onslaught had dissipated, he sent the units forward. "My turn." A green web struck at the Abyss, but to Alex's mild surprise, Auel was able to block his entire attack with his fins. "Impressive," Alex said, raising his estimation of the Alliance pilot slightly. "Not many would be able to block that attack."

Auel, for his part, was more than a little startled. He'd made the mistake of thinking that the previous fight had showed all of Alex's capabilities. Now he found out just how wrong he'd been.

Not that he was inclined to give up. "You're going down!" Auel snatched out his beam lance.

"You still don't understand." Instead of doing the obvious and drawing a saber, Alex activated the Shirasaya beam sword concealed in his shield. The blade of light neatly blocked Abyss's lance. "My greatest strength is in ranged combat, but that does not make me weak up close."

Auel gaped. The Anubis Gundam had stopped all of his attacks, and made it look _easy_. "How did he-!?"

"You're good," Alex conceded, forcing the lance back, "but you are nonetheless inexperienced. I, on the other hand, have fought the best both the Earth Forces and ZAFT have to offer." He raised his rifle, only to be forced to dodge. "What the? Oh…"

GAT-X150 Terra was coming at him full speed. "This time it ends," Starr said coldly.

"I think not." Alex flipped sideways, bringing up his DRAGOON shield in time to block another fin laser attack. "You Earth Forces scum have committed two capital offenses, attacking my homeland, and nearly killing my wife. Now you will face the consequences."

"Not happening," Starr retorted. "Neider, attack from the side. We'll catch him in a pincer."

"Got it," Auel acknowledged.

Alex smiled as the two Gundams moved to flank him._ You underestimate me…_

* * *

Mu and Keinn had found themselves in a two-on-two against Rapier and Verboten. Mu's experience and the sheer agility of Keinn's Murasame gave them an edge, but both Alliance pilots were highly skilled, and Krieger was downright ferocious. All in all, they weren't having a good day.

Keinn had it somewhat easier. His sheer elusiveness was driving Krieger half-mad with frustration, which threw off his aim, which made him even more frustrated, etc.. "Having fun, psycho?" Keinn taunted.

Krieger slashed ineffectually with his beam scythe. "Stand still, you vermin!"

"Sorry, no can do." Keinn's Murasame did a figure-eight, apparently just for the fun of it. "Catch me if you can!"

The Nazi snarled incoherently, abandoning melee attacks for his plasma cannon. Unfortunately for him, even bending the blast did little; the maddening ZAFT pilot simply evaded, laughing cheerfully all the while.

Mu spared them a glance, at the same time returning fire at the Rapier. "Looks like your Nazi buddy is having trouble," he said with a malicious grin.

"Krieger is not my 'buddy,' Mu," the other said, pulling a saber. "I am an honorable warrior, he is a mere sociopathic killer. Granted he has his uses, but only a fool would consider him a comrade."

Mu drew a saber of his own, blocking his relative's attack. "I just don't get how you can serve with someone like that," he said conversationally.

"I'm still loyal to the homeland, unlike you," the other retorted. "You betrayed everything you ever knew!"

"Haven't we been over this before?" Mu rolled his eyes and parried a saber strike. "There's nothing left for me in the Atlantic Federation, J.-P.. Even before I left, those bastards were planning to take me out as soon as I'd outlived my usefulness. They'll do the same thing to you if you're not careful."

The younger La Flaga slammed his shield into the Strike's head, forcing Mu to back off slightly. "Not likely. I'm too useful as a _loyal_ La Flaga, someone who doesn't have the taint of treason."

"Maybe for now, but it won't last forever!" Abandoning melee combat, Mu began firing his rifle repeatedly.

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

"Status report," Talia said.

"All mobile suit forces are engaged," Meyrin said, gazing intently at her board. "Commander Strassmeier is fighting the Abyss and the new Alliance multirole unit. Commander Zala is engaged with the Raider variant, and Commander La Flaga is fighting the close-combat unit. Luna and Rey are chasing the Gaia, Shinn's fighting the new artillery support unit, and Keinn is battling the neo-Nazi he faced at Armory One. Lady Cagalli appears to be heading for the Chaos."

Talia grimaced. "Very well. Set CIWS to auto; I don't want any Daggers or that Exus getting close."

Siegel Clyne watched from the rear of the bridge. Though he had long agreed with Alex's prediction that a new war was inevitable, it nonetheless saddened him. _Not content with the bloodshed two years ago, the Earth Forces insist on renewing the conflict. Perhaps there was no way to avoid it so long as Blue Cosmos controlled them, but I dearly wish it were otherwise._

"Captain, there's another Earth Forces machine approaching!" Meyrin said suddenly. "It's heading for the Anubis!"

"Warn Commander Strassmeier," Talia said sharply.

Meyrin nodded crisply. "Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

Open space

* * *

"Understood, Meyrin," Alex said. "I'll keep an eye out." _Just great, another one. Just how many Gundams do they have, anyway?_

He didn't have long to wait. As he'd suspected, it was a Gundam, and his eyes narrowed as he examined it. The enemy machine had a red and blue torso, with white limbs and head. There was a buckler-style shield on its left arm, and something he couldn't quite figure out on the right. On its back was a weapon vaguely reminiscent of the Abyss's beam lance.

His comm crackled. "I presume I am speaking to Commander Strassmeier, the man known as the Spider of Artemis." The voice was colder than even Alex's usually was.

Alex didn't blink, but inwardly he was surprised. _First Roanoke, now this guy?_ There was no point in denying it; if nothing else, his Gundam was well known to all sides. "That's right," he said. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

An opaque helmet appeared on his screen. "My name is Xavier Hunter," he said. "Commander, Atlantic Federation Navy."

"Charmed," Alex responded, his tone making clear that he was anything but charmed. "So is this a social call or what?"

Hunter might have shrugged, it was hard to tell. "I merely felt I should give you a chance to surrender."

"Do you really think I'm going to surrender, especially after Armory One?" Alex asked, not bothering to hide his disbelief.

"So be it," Hunter said. "Your kind must be cleansed from this world; I merely felt that your surrender would reduce the difficulty involved. Instead, you shall perish by the purifying flames of my Shenlong." His image vanished.

"_Cleansed," he says, _Alex thought, watching the Shenlong's right arm come up. _Who does he think he -uh oh!_ He juked, having just recognized the other Gundam's arm weapon as a dual flamethrower. _Explains why it looks like a dragon's head. How cliché._ The twin streams of fire streaked harmlessly past.

_My turn._ Alex snapped his rifle up, firing with clockwork precision. To his surprise, Hunter was able to take each shot on his round shield. "You're good," he admitted.

"The Shenlong is an extension of my body," the Alliance pilot said coldly. "I attained that level of control in order to facilitate the purification of the world."

Alex shook his head. "Didn't Blue Cosmos start out as an _environmental_ terror group? You sound like a religious fanatic. No matter." His DRAGOONs swept out. "If you threaten my homeland, you will be destroyed."

The other Gundam pulled the weapon from its back, a beam glaive. Hunter spun it rapidly, so that the beam portion was nothing but a blur. "You shall fall like a leaf in the wind under the force of my blade."

"You _are_ nuts." Alex sent his DRAGOONs into a spiral, keeping the Shenlong from getting too close. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get in a clear shot, rendering the battle a stalemate, neither pilot having an advantage.

* * *

Shinn was getting very annoyed. The Calamity knockoff was proving very good at keeping him off balance. Its raw firepower more than made up for its lack of agility; indeed, it outgunned the Blast Impulse. Not to mention whoever was flying it was highly skilled.

Then he had an additional complication. ZGMF-X24S Chaos streaked past, pursued by ORB-01 Akatsuki. Judging by the ignited saber, the Earth Forces pilot had realized his ranged weapons were useless against the Golden Gundam.

_Lucky the Ataksuki's nuclear powered,_ Shinn thought as the Chaos launched a missile salvo. Cagalli didn't even bother with her CIWS, allowing her PSA to take the hit. Before Sting could react, she was in melee range, her double saber clashing against the Chaos's shield.

Sting Oakley was no fool. Confident though he was in his own skill, he knew that the Lioness of Orb was a highly skilled and experienced adversary, and that his Chaos Gundam was unsuited for melee combat. Apparently deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, he turned and sped off.

A laser blast startled Shinn out of his reverie. "You got distracted!" the other pilot said in a pronounced Irish accent.

Shinn cursed under his breath. _Of all the stupid…_ He raised both cannons, trying to bracket his opponent. To his immense annoyance, the Alliance Gundam proved agile enough to dodge his attack. _Bastard!_

"You can't take me that easily, Coordinator," the other growled.

"I never thought it would be easy, bastard!" Shinn snapped back. He jettisoned his Silhouette. "_Minerva_, I need the Force pack."

"On the way, Shinn," Meyrin said promptly.

* * *

If Luna had bothered to think about it, she would have felt that she and Rey were in a bad position. Two ZAKUs, even if one was one of the new Phantom variants, were no match for a Gundam head on. There were counterbalances, however; she and Rey were both Coordinators, and they'd trained under one of ZAFT's top aces.

Of course, she didn't dwell on that at all. "The Gaia has to come out sometime," she said. Stellar had taken refuge inside a midsized piece of debris.

"You take one end of the tunnel, Luna; I'll take the other," Rey said. His ZAKU Phantom moved to the far end.

"Roger," Luna confirmed. She leveled her beam cannon at the entrance.

They didn't have long to wait. X88S Gaia careened out of Rey's end in mobile armor mode, spitting laser fire as it came. Rey shifted both of his shields forward, then dodged to the side and returned fire with his own rifle, adding a missile barrage in an attempt to wear down the Gaia's PSA.

Then it was Luna's turn. Her first shot missed completely, but her second melted a long gash in the Gundam's left leg.

"Bastard!" Stellar shouted. "You'll pay for that!"

Luna had other ideas. Well aware that her Gunner ZAKU was weak in close combat, she had no intention of allowing the Extended to close with her. Her beam cannon flashed again, forcing Stellar to dodge. Luna blocked two laser blasts, but the Gaia still closed.

Until, that was, Rey's Phantom caught up, drew its beam axe, and chopped the Gaia's beam rifle in half. Shifting position, he slashed horizontally, taking off the Gundam's right leg. Stellar, furious but knowing that she was beaten, retreated while she still could.

"That's it, then," Rey said in tones of profound satisfaction.

"Yeah," Luna agreed. Something caught her eye then, She turned, and felt a spasm of horror. "The _Minerva_!"

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

"All three stolen machines have retreated, Captain," Heim said, "along with two of the new GAT-X models."

Talia nodded curtly. "What about the others?"

"Shinn's still battling the artillery model," Meyrin said. "Commander La Flaga and Keinn are still fighting the other two, as well."  
"Understood," Talia said. "What about Commander Strassmeier?"

Meyrin frowned at her display. "He's fighting the machine that we spotted earlier, which appears to be a sixth GAT-X unit." She hesitated. "Captain, we're picking up elevated radiation levels from the new unit."

"Which means it has an NJC," Talia said, disgusted.

"Captain, enemy unit approaching fast!" Heim yelled abruptly.

Talia didn't need the warning. An Earth Forces Dagger L was coming at them head on. She could already see its glowing optics, and the muzzle of its beam rifle. Luna and Rey were in hot pursuit, but there was no way they could make it in time.

_So this is how it ends,_ she thought. _I'm sorry, Gil…_ The rifle came up, its muzzle began to glow…

And a flash of green split its torso from the side. The two halves drifted for an endless moment, then exploded, revealing a familiar blue-and-white Gundam. "That was close," Shinn Asuka said.

Talia sighed in relief, smiling. "That was a little too close, Shinn."

He shrugged. "Sorry I took so long; that bastard in the Calamity lookalike was tougher than I thought."

"The Alliance isn't going to put mediocre pilots in machines like those," Athrun said. "Captain, there's nothing more we can do here, and our non-nuclear machines are low on power."

She nodded. "Agreed. Meyrin, recall our mobile suits."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Alex, Athrun, Cagalli, and Mu had joined them on the bridge. "They got away again," Mu grumbled. "What's with those guys?"

"I wish I knew," Athrun said, glaring at nothing.

"It is clear that the Earth Forces wish to renew the conflict," Siegel Clyne said. "Commander Strassmeier, what is your assessment?" There was no response. "Commander?"

The younger man seemed to shake himself. "Sorry, Your Excellency. My assessment is that we can't make one yet, beyond the obvious Blue Cosmos involvement."

Cagalli looked at him, concerned. In the almost three years that she'd known him, she'd never seen him like that before. "Alex?"

"Meyrin, contact Intelligence," Alex said. "I want everything we have on one Xavier Hunter, Commander, Atlantic Federation Navy."

The redhead looked at Talia, who nodded. "Yes, Commander. Is there something…?"

"He was the pilot of the machine I was fighting out there," Alex said in an unusually clipped tone. He turned and left.

Athrun frowned after him. "What's with him?"

"It does seem unusual," Siegel agreed. "Lady Cagalli?"

The princess shook her head. "I've never seen him quite like this. Maybe Andrea, Yzak, or Lia have, but not me." She shrugged. "He'll tell us when he's ready."

"Let's just hope it won't be too long," Mu said.

* * *

Crew lounge

* * *

For the first time, the view of the stars did nothing to soothe Alex's disquiet. His encounter with the mysterious Hunter had unnerved him. The enemy's final words before retreating had been, "Till then."

_Till when!? _Alex thought. _Who _is_ he!?_

* * *

Author's note: Once again, ZAFT and the Earth Forces clash with no conclusive victor. Meanwhile, the new head of the Seiran family begins to come into his own.

I know, this is REALLY late. I do apologize; the battle was driving me nuts; how well I did it is open to debate. I would welcome suggestions on improvement.


	4. Chapter 4: Overture to Destruction

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule and Keinn Legwitz are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

_Minerva_, Alex and Cagalli's quarters

* * *

The buzz of the intercom jolted Alex out of a soup of nightmares. A light sleeper ever since the Mandelbrot Incident five years before, he had a tendency to have flashbacks in times of stress. Thus it was that he was grateful for the interruption.

"Strassmeier," he said, accepting voice only. Beside him, Cagalli murmured something inaudible in her sleep.

"Commander, we've received an urgent message from the Homeland," Meyrin Hawke said. She hesitated, as if she didn't believe what she was saying. "Junius Seven's orbit has begun to decay."

Alex sat bolt upright, waking Cagalli in the process. "What did you say!?"

"Junius Seven's orbit has begun to decay," Meyrin repeated. "Estimated to enter Earth's atmosphere within a week."

Alex swore savagely under his breath. _No way this is a natural happening. The remains of Junius Seven were supposed to remain in orbit for at least a century._ "I presume there's going to be a meeting of some sort."

"Yes, sir," Meyrin said. "Captain Gladys has called the Chairman and Commanders La Flaga and Zala. She's requesting you and Lady Cagalli as well."

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Alex said, and cut the circuit.

Cagalli looked at him in confusion, blinking groggily. "Alex, what's going on?"

"Something I never thought would happen," Alex said grimly, reaching for his uniform. "Junius Seven is falling out of orbit."

Her jaw dropped. "What!?" she said, suddenly wide awake.

Alex laughed without humor. "That was more or less my reaction," he said. "There's not a snowball's chance in hell that this is a natural occurrence."

Cagalli disentangled herself from the sheet. "How long do we have?"

"Less than a week," Alex said. "If we don't stop it, the death toll will make the Bloody Valentine look like a paper cut."

* * *

Briefing room

* * *

Even after more than a year of marriage, Cagalli was still amazed that Alex could look so impeccably groomed despite having been awake for less than ten minutes. There was no sign of stubble (okay, that wasn't surprising, since his friend Doctor Vincent Lockwood had come up with a safe beard suppressant a year before), his hair was straight (he _never_ seemed to have bad hair days), his uniform spotless, and his eyes clear and alert.

Mu La Flaga, by contrast, was looking decidedly rumpled. His uniform was untidy, his hair in disarray, he was bleary-eyed, and wasn't bothering to hide his yawns. He was, however, awake enough to glare at the white-uniformed FAITH operative. The message was unmistakable: _You can't have been up more than ten minutes. Bastard._

"I'm sorry to disturb you all at this hour," Talia said, "but I believe you already know why."

"All too well," Athrun said. "Junius Seven is falling."

Alex leaned forward, blue eyes sharp. "But why? There's no way this is a natural phenomenon."

Talia sighed. "Unfortunately, we don't know the cause. The Joule team is on its way, but we haven't heard anything from them yet."

"I don't see how it _could_ be natural," Cagalli put in. "Junius Seven was expected to remain in orbit for another century, wasn't it?"

Siegel Clyne grimaced. "It would appear that our expectations were in error. Our observation posts detected the change approximately three hours ago. If it enters the atmosphere…"

Everyone winced. If even a part of the wrecked PLANT colony reached the Earth's surface, the results would be catastrophic. Earthquakes and tsunamis were the least that could be expected. It would be destruction on a scale never before seen.

"So what does this have to do with us?" Mu asked, frowning at the captain.

Athrun turned to face him, emerald eyes hard. "It's obvious, Mu," he said flatly. No one wondered at his tone; everyone knew of his very personal connection to Junius Seven. "We stop it, by any means necessary."

"You said the Joule team is involved?" Alex asked Talia. At her nod, he leaned back, looking slightly more relaxed. "Good. Yzak will go far to preventing any funny business."

Talia raised her eyebrows. "Are you expecting trouble, Commander?"

"Captain, I'm _always_ expecting trouble," Alex said. "I didn't survive some of the nastiest battles of the last war by taking foolish chances."

Considering the fact that he was present at Heliopolis, Talbadiya, Alaska, Panama, Orb, Artemis, Mendel, and Jachin, Talia had to grant the point.

"In any case, we need to alert Orb," Siegel said. "I do not believe that any of their space fleet is in range to assist…"

Cagalli shook her head. "We don't have much of one, and it's all at Ame-No-Mihashira," she said. "Mu and I are the only Orb people in a position to help."

Siegel nodded. "Nevertheless, your government needs to be informed, if only to prepare for the worst."

"I'll contact my father," Cagalli said.

Athrun looked at Talia's exec. "What's Yzak's mission?"

"The Joule team will place Meteor Breakers at strategic points on the colony remnant," Arthur Trine said. "Since we can't keep it in orbit, our only hope is to break it into small enough pieces that it burns up before impact."

"Let's hope it's enough," Mu said quietly.

Cagalli silently agreed. She and Mu were the only Earth-born (well, technically she wasn't, but Mendel didn't really count under the circumstances) individuals present, and both were inwardly shuddering at what would happen if they failed. Orb, as an island nation, was in even more danger than most.

She felt Alex take her hand, and she looked up. "Don't worry," he whispered, softly enough that the others couldn't hear. "We'll make sure the planet is safe, one way or another."

Cagalli took a deep breath. "You're right."

* * *

President Copeland's office, Washington, D.C., Atlantic Federation

* * *

Four men sat in the dimly lit office. The mood was grim, even more so since their last meeting earlier in the year. Not only were there pirates to deal with, but now the remains of a space colony were about to come crashing down on them.

"That concludes the report from Phantom Pain," Field Marshal Tobias Simmons said. "The remains of Junius Seven will enter the atmosphere in less than a week."

Hiram Dalton, Director of Central Intelligence, grimaced. "What kind of damage can we expect?"

"If it makes it into the atmosphere intact, widespread destruction," Simmons said bluntly. "Nuclear winter, flooding, earthquakes, you name it."

"Do we have anyone in range to intervene?" Copeland demanded.

Simmons nodded sharply. "Phantom Pain and the _Seraphim_ are both in range. We have reason to believe that the new ZAFT warship will be dispatched; there's already at least one ZAFT team in the area. There's a good chance the drop can be averted."

"The question is," Lord Djibril said softly, "whether we _want_ to avert it."

Copeland, Simmons, and Dalton all stared at him in disbelief. "What did you say?" the DCI asked.

The leader of Blue Cosmos waved a hand. "I'm not suggesting we should permit Junius Seven to enter the atmosphere intact. However, a few relatively large pieces would work wonders as far as propaganda is concerned."

Copeland and Simmons both nodded slowly, but Dalton grimaced. For all his experience as a "spook," deliberately sacrificing so many people didn't sit well with him. He didn't care how many Coordinators perished, but the vast majority of Earth's population were Naturals.

"And how large is 'relatively'?" he asked carefully.

"Perhaps the size of a large office building," Djibril said. "Enough to wreak havoc, but not damage the world beyond repair. After all, we can hardly claim to be 'for the preservation of our blue and pure world' if we allow anything beyond that."

_Bastard._ Loyalties aside, Hiram Dalton had no use for mass destruction. _Why even destroy the PLANTs if we don't have to? Just kill all the space monsters, and take the colonies for our own use, if we can. Anything else is a waste._

"What about Orb?" Djibril asked, turning to the President.

Copeland's lip twisted. "The new head of the Seiran family read Ambassador Phillips the riot act over the Armory One attack. They're going to be trouble."

"Is there anyone in Orb we can co-opt?" Djibril persisted. "Or at least get Athha to see reason?"

Dalton laughed harshly. "Not a chance in hell. Unato and Yuna Seiran are dead, and no other Alliance supporter ever had any influence; Sahaku didn't count, since he was using us. As for Athha, leaving aside the fact that he hates our guts on general principles, his daughter is married to ZAFT's second-ranking ace, and a FAITH member on top of that. I'm sorry, Lord Djibril, but Orb is a complete write-off unless we flat-out conquer them."

"And that is a dicey proposition at best," Simmons put in. "If we fight Orb, we fight ZAFT, and vice versa." He brought up a map on a wall screen. "ZAFT has a large force stationed in Orb; we've confirmed the presence of AMF-953 BABIs, TMF/A-802 BuCUEs, TMF/A-803 LaGOWEs, ZGMF-1000 ZAKUs, and UMF/SSO-3 ASHs, the new amphibious model. Combine that with Orb's various Astray models and the new Murasame, and you have a recipe for trouble."

Copeland winced. "Indeed. Why do I have the feeling that I haven't heard the worst of it?"

"Probably because you haven't, Mister President," Simmons said sourly. "The ZAFT forces are under the overall command of Andrew Waltfeld, but even that isn't the worst."

The president growled under his breath. "I know perfectly well what the worst is, Field Marshall," he said. "The traitorous _Archangel_, and that space monster Kira Yamato."

"And his nuclear-powered mobile suit," Simmons agreed. "He's dangerous enough by himself; when paired with his ZAFT friend Athrun Zala he's virtually unstoppable."

"Surely they're not _that_ good," Djibril said.

The Supreme Allied Commander snorted. "Lord Djibril, I was at both Orb and Jachin. I saw Freedom and Justice in action firsthand. Trust me, sir, the danger those two pilots and machines pose cannot be overstated. None of our pilots even came close to defeating them in the last war."

"Do we have anyone who can take them now?" Copeland demanded.

"I don't know, sir," Simmons said. "There is little battle data on the pilots, mainly because few survive battling them. As for the machines, we have no solid data on them at all; the data Orb had in the last war was destroyed when Uzumi and his cronies fled." He pursed his lips. "The closest would be Neo Roanoke and Xavier Hunter. The Extendeds are good, but nowhere near Yamato or Zala's level, and the new GAT-X pilots are simply too green." He didn't add that Gustav Krieger was only in the military at all because Djibril had insisted.

Djibril raised an eyebrow. "You're certain no data on those two machines survived Uzumi's escape from Orb?"

Simmons snorted again. "The Spider of Artemis personally saw to that. He's a very thorough man, Lord Djibril. He's also as dangerous to us as Yamato and Zala in his own way. Not only is he an ace pilot in his own right, but he is also a master strategist."

"In any case," Copeland said, "we have to decide how we're going to deal with the colony drop. Marshall Simmons?"

The field marshal nodded sharply. "With your permission, Mister President, I will instruct Captain Roanoke to monitor the situation and act as he deems necessary."

"Very well," Copeland said. "Lord Djibril?"

"I agree," Djibril said promptly.

Dalton swallowed a grimace. He didn't like it, but there was nothing to be done. "Concur, sir."

"Then it's settled," the President said.

Dalton still didn't like it. _Something's not right here._ Though he disliked Coordinators, he'd never trusted Blue Cosmos, and he despised Djibril. _There are more important things than just wiping out space monsters._ Unfortunately, there was no way a terrorist could understand that.

* * *

_Nazca_-class destroyer _Voltaire_, bridge

* * *

Normally the crew of the _Voltaire_ enjoyed their job. They had the latest in ZAFT technology at their disposal (save for the Second Stage Gundams and the _Minerva_), and both the commander and his exec were famous heroes from the first war. Being picked for the Joule team was widely seen as a plum assignment.

There were, however, drawbacks, most notably the commander's ferocious temper. Yzak Joule cared deeply for the people under his command, and they were unfailingly loyal to him, but he was said to be capable of blistering laminated armor when angry.

Like now.

"I don't believe this!" Yzak snarled, slamming a fist into the rim of the bridge's tabletop display. "Junius Seven falling!? What in blazes is going on here!?" He took a deep breath. "Sorry," he said to the very nervous comm officer. "What's our assignment?"

"We've been ordered to deploy Meteor Breakers on the colony ruin," the other said, visibly relaxing. "The _Minerva _is on its way, and will assist."

Yzak felt some of his fury drain away. Knowing that ZAFT's newest warship was coming, and knowing just who was on that ship, was very reassuring. _Four experienced aces, and one of the prototype machines._ "Any sign of that new Earth Forces ship?"

"Nah, but that doesn't really mean anything," Dearka Elsman said. "That thing has Mirage Colloid, and even the _Seraphim_ is hard to find in the Debris Belt. Remember when Kira and the others escaped after Artemis?"

Yzak snorted. "Yeah. Never thought I'd be glad we never vaped _that_ ship." _Never thought I'd be friends with the guy who gave me a scar, either._ "What about Orb?"

"None of their ships are in range," the comm officer said. "Lady Cagalli and Commander La Flaga are on the _Minerva_, though."

"We knew that already," Yzak said, but without heat. He'd come to know and respect the Hawk of Endymion in the latter stages of the first war, and of course Cagalli was part of his family now. "What about the _Valkyrie_? Are they in range?"

The other shook his head. "I'm afraid not, sir. According to the report, the Strassmeier team is currently in Orb."

Yzak sighed in resignation. "Would've been nice to have their firepower, but it looks like we'll have to do without. All right." He looked at _Voltaire_'s captain. "Signal the _Rousseau. _We're heading for the remains of Junius Seven."

"Yes, sir."

Yzak returned his attention to the display. Theoretically they were close enough to break up the colony debris with plenty of time to spare. That wasn't good enough for him, though; he'd seen enough operations go bad to be very skeptical of intelligence estimates. _Operation Spit Break was supposed to be a cakewalk, and look what happened _there.

He sighed again, memories of the Cyclops flashing through his mind. Though he'd heard Mu La Flaga's description of the Endymion Cyclops, it hadn't prepared him for what would happen at JOSH-A.The sheer power of the huge microwave generator had haunted his nightmares for weeks afterward.

_This has the potential to make that look like a firecracker._ He looked out the forward viewport and prayed that the _Minerva_ would arrive in time.

* * *

_Minerva_, crew lounge

* * *

The mood was somber when Shinn and his friends gathered in the crew lounge. Talia Gladys had a informed the crew of the crisis an hour earlier, and some of them were still in shock. Even at the height of the first war, only a few fanatics like Patrick Zala had suggested devastating Earth, and even fewer had listened to them.

"Who could be behind this?" Shinn wondered, half to himself. "There's no way this is natural."

"Whoever it is, it'll be someone from the colonies," Rey opined, leaning against the viewport. "Give the devil his due, the Earth Forces would never try something like this." He smiled slightly. "After all, they can hardly claim to be 'for the preservation of our blue and pure world' if they're dropping colony debris on the planet."

Keinn snorted. "No argument there. That nutjob Nazi I was fighting kept ranting about preserving the purity of the race. Well, if Junius Seven falls there won't be a race to keep pure." He looked at Shinn. "You're from Earth, Shinn. Think we can expect any help from Orb?"

Shinn shook his head. "Just Lady Cagalli and Commander La Flaga; they don't have enough of a space fleet to help much here."

"And what they do have is concentrated at Ame-No-Mihashira in case the Earth Alliance gets the wrong idea," Rey agreed.

"So it's up to us, then," Shinn said softly, thinking of his old homeland. Though he was now a citizen of the PLANTs, he still bore love for Orb, and the thought of Orb being hit by the tsunamis that would inevitably result from a colony drop filled him with rage.

He agreed with Rey that the perpetrators were almost certainly from the PLANTs. It was hard to believe that any Earth-based group would go so far as to drop a piece of debris the size of Junius Seven's remains on the planet. That ruled out Blue Cosmos, and pretty much any environmental terror group.

"Why would anyone do this?" Meyrin wondered, sounding more than a little plaintive. "What's the point?"

Shinn shook his head. "Who knows? There are plenty of nutcases out there."

"Sometimes even in Orb."

The group looked at the hatch in surprise. Cagalli Yula Athha stood a few meters away, her head still bandaged but looking otherwise normal.

"Lady Cagalli," Rey said, saluting.

She waved that away. "Please, don't bother. I'm not ZAFT, and I hate being formal." She moved to stand near Rey at the viewport. "Besides, four of you are Alex's students."

"I wouldn't want to presume on that relationship," Rey said.

"Give it a rest, Rey," Keinn said, rolling his eyes. "Everyone knows she hates being treated like royalty. You want to make her blow her stack?"

Cagalli laughed. "Don't worry about it, guys. I don't like that kind of thing, but I can handle it."

Shinn couldn't help chuckling. He'd had more contact with the Lioness of Orb than most, so he was well aware of how she viewed her own "noble" status. Even when they'd first met, at the Junius Three colony in C.E. 71, he'd noticed her preference to be just one of the gang.

"Has Orb been informed of the situation?" Luna asked softly.

Cagalli sighed. "Yeah. Unfortunately, as you probably know, Mu and I are the only Orb people in a position to do anything. After Kyoji Seiran hammered the Atlantic Federation ambassador, we have to keep our fleet close to Ame-No-Mihashira in case the Earth Forces try anything."

Of course, it wasn't just Orb units at the Sakakus' space station. ZAFT had four warships, two each _Nazca_ and _Laurasia_-class, posted there, as well as four teams of ZAKUs based directly on the station, and Troy Cadwallader and his Dreadnought Gundam.

"Come on, guys, what are you so moody about?" Keinn said bracingly. "We'll break the colony up, and blast whoever's behind it into dust. That's all there is to it."

Shinn couldn't help grinning. _That's Keinn for you._ "You're right. Once we get past this, we can go back to hunting those bastards who attacked Armory One. I'd like a little payback for the nerve gas."

"Me, too," Luna said. She winced at little, recalling that her ZAKU had blown a hole in the colony wall. Assurances from a number of people, up to and including Chairman Clyne himself, that it wasn't her fault had only partially assuaged her guilt.

Keinn laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Luna," he said, sounding unusually serious. "We'll make it."

* * *

_Seraphim_, pilots' ready room

* * *

"_What_ are we being diverted for?" Jean-Pierre asked, staring incredulously at his commanding officer.

Xavier Hunter didn't so much as twitch. "We've been directed to make for the remains of Junius Seven, and take whatever action Captain Roanoke deems necessary."

"That's crazy!" Markham protested. "We should be working to stop the colony drop, not sitting around waiting for Captain Roanoke to make up his mind."

Hunter's gray eyes suddenly appeared even colder than usual. "Be careful of your words, Ensign Markham," he said softly. "You're dangerously close to insubordination. We will take whatever action is needed to preserve the purity of our race. _That_ is paramount, Ensign."

Jean-Pierre carefully kept his face expressionless, but inside he was seething. He agreed with Markham; stopping the colony drop was more important than anything else at that point. If they just sat there, the consequences for Earth could be catastrophic.

_Mu can wait, right now we need to make sure we still have a home when we're through._

"In any case, rest assured Command has no intention of allowing the remains of Junius Seven to strike, at least not intact," Hunter went on.

_Translation, Command wants a few smaller pieces to get through and cause some local havoc, thereby providing us with some nice anti-PLANT propaganda,_ Jean-Pierre thought sourly.

"Also, since ZAFT will almost certainly send ships as well, so we may be able to kill two birds with one stone," Hunter said. "That is all."

Once the commander was gone, Jean-Pierre rolled his eyes. As far as he was concerned, interfering with a ZAFT attempt to stop the colony drop was tantamount to dropping it themselves. However much he loathed the so-called PLANT Supreme Council, he knew perfectly well that with Zala dead there was no way they would let something of that magnitude go on unchecked.

Krieger, predictably, was untroubled; it was common knowledge that he practically worshipped Lord Djibril. Judging by his expression, he was confident that any damage to the Earth's surface could be managed, so long as the colony fragment didn't enter atmosphere intact.

_Which means he's even more psychotic than I thought._ Jean-Pierre shook his head. "I don't like this."

"Join the club," Morton Callahan said with a snort. "I may go in for scorched-earth tactics, but this goes way beyond that."

"Perhaps," Starr said quietly. "Still, I'm willing to trust the high command. Their plans have gotten us this far."

Jean-Pierre's eyes narrowed slightly. He'd never much liked Terrence, Starr, though he didn't loathe the mysterious pilot the way he did Gustav Krieger. Something about the Terra's pilot just made him uneasy. He'd never been able to put his finger on it.

With a shrug, he dismissed the thought. It could wait until they had dealt with Junius Seven. _One thing at a time, Jean-Pierre. First the colony fragment, then Mu. When those are done, then you can start thinking about Starr._

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

"Approaching remains of Junius Seven," Yardbirds said. "We have the _Voltaire_ and _Rousseau_ on radar and thermals."

Talia nodded. "Understood."

"The Joule team reports that they have begun placement of Meteor Breakers," Meyrin said. "The Duel and the Buster are flying escort."

A soft, almost subliminal chuckle sounded behind the command chair. "That's Yzak, all right," Alex said. "Never misses a chance to be in the thick of things, even if it's just an escort run. I shudder at the thought of him being chained to a desk."

Bart Heim turned in his chair. "He wouldn't like it, sir?"

"He'd go mad inside a week," Alex told him. "He's a lot like Cagalli, actually, a warrior rather than a politician."

Talia smiled at the byplay. "Anything besides the Joule team's people out there, Bart?"

Heim shook his head. "Nothing solid, at least. I keep getting an odd reading on the thermal scanner, but it's probably nothing."

"Don't be so sure," Alex said. "Remember, it is very likely that the colony fragment's fall is no accident. Whoever is behind this is probably still nearby…" He trailed off, gazing worriedly out the forward viewport.

Talia frowned, very slightly. Though she was several years older than the FAITH operative, he was actually more experienced than she was. If the Spider of Artemis was concerned that there was more to their situation than was readily apparent, she was willing to take notice.

"Is there something on your mind, Commander?" she asked.

He shook his head, not in denial, but merely an effort to clear his thoughts. "I'm not sure. The last time I was here I had a run-in with Mikhail Coast, so I could well be imagining things."

Talia doubted that. One thing Alex Strassmeier was not was overly imaginative. "Perhaps we should go to alert status…"

"Status change!" Heim said suddenly. "The Joule team is under attack!"

She whirled, staring in shock at the unmistakable green flashes of laser fire. "Meyrin, Condition Red! Deploy our mobile suits at once!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Alex was already making for the bridge hatch. "I'm going out there as well."

Talia nodded absently, focused on the main task. "Do you have an ID on the attackers?"

"Checking…" Heim said. His jaw dropped. "Captain, they're GINN High Maneuver Mark IIs!"

She swore under her breath. "Meyrin, warn the mobile suit team that they will be facing ZAFT models. Chen, set point defense to auto."

"Yes, ma'am!" they said in unison.

It looked like they were about to earn their pay.

* * *

Open space, ruins of Junius Seven

* * *

Yzak Joule was having a bad day. Much as he enjoyed a chance to take his Duel for a spin, he really preferred that there be something to shoot at. Escort duty bored him, though not as much as a desk job would have.

At least things were going smoothly thus far. His team's GuAIZ Rs were placing the Meteor Breakers ahead of schedule, and everything else was quiet. Despite his preference for action, Yzak knew that the less eventful this particular mission was, the better.

"Talk about milk runs, eh, Yzak?" Dearka commented.

Yzak snorted. "Don't get too comfortable, Dearka. It's quiet for now, but you can bet that whoever's behind this isn't happy with us. We have to make sure this colony fragment is broken up before it hits atmosphere."

"I know, I know."

Yzak rolled his eyes. _That's Dearka for you,_ he thought with weary humor.

One of his GuAIZ Rs disappeared in a green flash.

Yzak cursed incredulously. "What was that!?" He spun his machine around, just in time to see another GuAIZ evaporate. "What in blazes is going on!?"

"Commander Joule, we're under attack!" The contact ended in a chopped-off scream as a third GuAIZ exploded.

Yzak clenched his hands on his control bars. _Bastards!_ "Stay focused, people! Dearka and I will handle these guys!" He switched frequencies. "_Minerva_, this is Commander Joule. We need backup, fast!"

"Already on the way, Commander," a female voice said. "Beginning mobile suit deployment."

Yzak gritted his teeth, fending off a laser blast with his shield. "Make it fast," he grunted, finally catching a glimpse of his opponent. "We're dealing with ZAFT models, High Maneuver IIs."

"We know," the girl responded. "Our people are already being warned."

Dearka fired his gun launcher, missing by a hair. "What kind of help can we expect,_ Minerva_? These guys are tough."

"Two ZAKUs, one of them a Phantom, one Murasame, and five G-weapons, Impulse, Strike, Akatsuki, Anubis, and Justice." _Minerva_'s parasite operator sounded just a bit smug. "Will that be enough?"

Yzak grinned despite the situation. "Yeah, I think so," he said, launching a missile salvo. He sobered. "As long as they get here quick; I don't know how long we can hold out."

"Understood."

His worries appeared well-founded. The renegade mobile suits were living up to the High Maneuver designation, moving quickly enough to be difficult targets even for a machine as powerful as the Duel. They were making mincemeat of the GuAIZs.

Yzak fired again, finally clipping one of the GINNs. _This is insane! These guys are obviously renegade ZAFT, so why would they pull a stunt like this!?_ A follow-up shot missed, and then he had to evade a retaliatory burst of laser fire.

He was having a really, _really_ bad day.

* * *

_Seraphim_, hangar

* * *

Jean-Pierre La Flaga settled into his cockpit, pulling on his helmet as he did so. To his disgust, orders had come down from Captain Roanoke to interfere with the ZAFT operation…carefully. They were to attack both the renegades -which the GINNs clearly were- and the ZAFT regulars. Special priority was to be given to the FAITH pilots, Strassmeier and Zala.

"I'll happily destroy those renegades," he muttered to himself, making sure that he wasn't transmitting, "but this is a really stupid time to be fighting regular ZAFT. They don't want Earth destroyed any more than we do."

Krieger, naturally, was eager for the fight. Part of it was because the Extendeds were going with them; he loved a chance to see them in action. To be sure, Jean-Pierre welcomed the additional firepower, but Krieger's demeanor was even more disturbing than usual. _And that's saying a great deal._

Morton Callahan hadn't commented beyond saying he'd follow orders. Hardly a surprise; the Irish pilot wasn't exactly known for impulsiveness, despite his facility for causing mass destruction. He also never drank, an unusual trait in a pilot.

Zebulon Markham, frequently Jean-Pierre's sparring partner, shared the Rapier pilot's sentiments. Despite his persona, he disliked anything likely to cause mass death, no matter who it was that was dying.

Starr, as usual, was unreadable. For reasons known only to himself, he'd spent the last few hours before their mission briefing tweaking the Terra's software. No one had questioned him about it; the other pilots had long since learned to let him be when he was in that kind of mood.

_Enough woolgathering._ Jean-Pierre keyed his comm. "Jean-Pierre La Flaga, Rapier ready for launch."

"Acknowledged, Lieutenant," _Seraphim_'s parasite operator said promptly. "Good luck out there; show those space monsters who's boss."

Jean-Pierre firmly suppressed a sneer. "Will do, and thanks." He gripped his control bars. "Rapier, launching!"

* * *

Author's note: And so Break the World begins. While Yzak and the others work to stop the colony fragment, Blue Cosmos intends to use it to their own advantage.

Again, sorry for the late update; I seem to be having trouble getting into it. I shall do my utmost to remedy that. I should also mention that, despite initial appearances, the coming battle will be anything but one-sided.

One last thing. NukeDawg has produced a crossover fic among his Jade Series, my Valkyrie's Run, and Storm Wolf 77415's Song of the Storm Wolf. However odd the concept might be, he has carried it off quite well to date.


	5. Chapter 5: Heaven's Wrath

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule and Keinn Legwitz are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

_Minerva_, catapult/open space, ruins of Junius Seven

* * *

Alex felt a jolt as his Anubis Gundam connected to the _Minerva_'s catapult. It was only partly physical; though he'd been convinced from the beginning that the colony drop was caused by human intervention, he had never dreamed that those responsible would be renegade ZAFT. There were still some in the PLANTs who harbored anti-Earth sentiment, but ZAFT itself had largely been purged of that through their alliance with Orb. 

_These lunatics could easily be victims of that purge,_ he reminded himself, suppressing a curse. Few things infuriated him more than betrayal.

"Anubis, connected to catapult," Meyrin Hawke said. "Ready when you are, Commander."

Alex pressed his head firmly against the seat back. "Alex Strassmeier, Anubis launching!"

Once clear of the ship, he spared a brief glance behind him. Three red machines leapt off the _Minerva_, Lunamaria Hawke's ZAKU Warrior, Keinn Legwitz's custom Murasame, and Athrun Zala's Justice Gundam. Behind them were two nearly identical machines, Mu La Flaga's Aile Strike and Shinn Asuka's Force Impulse. Last were Rey Za Burrel's white ZAKU Phantom and the shining gold form of Cagalli's Akatsuki.

"Time to teach those traitors a lesson!" Keinn yelled, shifting to mobile armor mode. His crimson Murasame sped off, at a pace even many Gundams would have had difficulty matching.

"Maniac," Luna muttered. She and Rey moved to follow, weapons already in firing position.

Alex shook his head at his old student's antics. Though Keinn Legwitz appeared somewhat unhinged at times, he was a complete professional in battle, save perhaps for his idea of taunting. Inasmuch as he was a fervent patriot, his reaction to the news that their enemies were ex-ZAFT was about what Alex expected of him.

_And I happen to agree with him,_ Alex thought, fixing a GINN in his sights. A single shot caught it dead center, and it promptly exploded. "One down."

"Been keeping in practice," Mu noted. "That was extreme range."

"Extreme for you, perhaps," Alex said with a faint but definite touch of pride, "but not for me."

The Hawk rolled his eyes. "Is _anything_ extreme range for you?" he grumbled, hitting his thrusters.

Alex suppressed a grin. His marksmanship was legendary in both ZAFT and the Orb military. To date, he'd been outshot exactly once each with handguns and mobile suit weapons, by Athrun Zala and Kira Yamato respectively.

It was time to show those renegades that his reputation had been well-earned.

* * *

"This is insane!" Yzak snarled, taking a laser blast on his shield. "What's the point of all this!?" He cartwheeled to the left, drawing a saber and simultaneously firing his railgun. His opponent tried to attack him with its sword, but a physical blade was nothing against PSA. A single slash disposed of the traitorous GINN pilot. 

Dearka's Buster snapped its weapons together in sniper mode, aiming for a more distant target. He missed. "Bastard!"

_Just what do they want!?_ Yzak raged mentally. _What's the point of dropping the colony!?_ Even if he had approved of dropping huge pieces of debris on Earth, which he didn't (personal preference aside, he was related by marriage to not one but two Orb nobles), dropping the remains of Junius Seven was almost sacrilege to a PLANT native like him.

His thoughts chopped off with brutal suddenness. Another GINN appeared right in front of him. Its beam carbine came up; there was no time to evade…

And the beam splashed harmlessly against an energy field that abruptly surrounded the Duel. A heartbeat later, a green beam speared the GINN in the torso, striking its battery.

Despite the situation and his own near-death experience, Yzak couldn't help grinning. Only two mobile suits in existence could generate such an energy field, and the color of the DRAGOON unit he spotted in the corner of his eye told him which it was. "Thanks, Alex. What kept you?"

"Had some things to take care of," his cousin said, moving up alongside. "You all right?"

Yzak winced. "Dearka and I are, but the GuAIZs aren't. Since they had to concentrate on the Meteor Breakers, they had to come out unarmed."

"Leaving them easy prey for these traitors," Alex said grimly. "Don't blame yourself, Yzak. You did everything you could."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't enough," Yzak said.

The Anubis Gundam's rifle snapped up, blasting through an enemy GINN. "Save the self-reproach for later, Yzak. We've got a job to do."

"Right," Yzak agreed. "Time to make these bastards pay."

Alex turned away. "Traitors; Ich würde eher meine Frau an einem schlechten Tag beschäftigen," he muttered, apparently unaware that he was still transmitting. His thrusters lit, and he sped off.

Dearka looked at Yzak, confused. "What'd he say?"

Yzak laughed as they moved in his cousin's wake. "He said, 'Traitors; I'd rather deal with my wife on a bad day.' "

Dearka winced.

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

"Our mobile suits have engaged the enemy," Meyrin said. "Commander Joule reports the loss of several GuAIZs to the enemy GINNs." 

Talia nodded. "Are they responsible for the colony drop?"

"Affirmative, Captain," Meyrin replied after a moment. "Dearka Elsman of the Joule team reports having spotted flare motors strategically positioned on the colony fragment."

More than one person cursed at that. Talia didn't blame them; she felt like cursing herself. Not that she was surprised at the confirmation that the event was anything but natural, but it still sent a spike of fury through her.

"It would seem that Patrick's misguided ideals permeated our people more thoroughly than we had thought," Siegel Clyne said sadly. "I can think of no other reason for former ZAFT soldiers to be dropping Junius Seven on Earth."

Talia sighed. She'd served as executive officer on a _Nazca_-class destroyer in the latter stages of the war, and she remembered all too well the carnage of Jachin Due. "They have to be out of their minds to try something like this. Even Zala didn't contemplate actually devastating the planet's surface until late in the war."

"Of course they're out of their minds," Siegel agreed. "But that only makes them more dangerous, to us and to Earth." He winced as a fireball marked the end of another of Yzak's unarmed GuAIZs. "They must be stopped at all costs."

Talia glanced at her XO. "Can we lend any fire support?"

"Not in that melee," Trine said, shaking his head. "Too much chance of hitting our own machines."

She gritted her teeth. "Then it's up to them. Set CIWS to auto, I don't want those GINNs -or any Earth Forces machines- to get too close."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Open space

* * *

Athrun Zala snapped his sabers together and charged, spinning the combined weapon in a circle. His target, another GINN, fell apart in four separate pieces. _Just how many of these guys are there, anyway!?_ He glared at the GINNs. _Doesn't matter. I won't let you use my mom's grave to commit murder!_

"So this is Athrun Zala," one of the enemy pilots spoke up at least. "I should have expected that you'd be opposing us."

"Just who are you?" Athrun snarled. He wasn't surprised that the other knew who he was; his Justice Gundam was very distinctive.

His opponent laughed with a definite touch of madness. "My name it Sato, 'Commander'," he said mockingly. "It's no surprise that you'd be trying to stop us, lapdog to Clyne that you are."

"Shut up." Athrun fired his Fortis cannons, missing by meters. "I won't let you make things worse."

Sato laughed again. "You can't stop us, Zala," he said with contempt. "Junius Seven will fall, and those who died that day will be avenged!" His beam carbine came up; deranged though Sato was, he knew that his sword was useless against a Gundam. "You should be grateful, Zala. The death of your mother Lenore will be paid for in blood!"

"_Bastard!"_ Athrun drew a saber and slashed. "Don't you _ever_ mention that name!" He dodged a retaliatory beam salvo, then slashed again. "My mother would never have wanted vengeance!"

"Are you sure?" Sato taunted. "For all you know, she would have wanted every last Natural dead as punishment for their crimes."

Athrun gritted his teeth. "Some of my closest friends are Naturals, Sato," he growled, recalling Kira's friend Tolle Koenig, his successor as pilot of the Aegis.

"Then you're every bit as much a traitor as Clyne!" Sato snapped, all trace of amusement gone. "You, who killed your father with your own hands!"

Athrun froze, images flashing through his mind. His father, Patrick Zala, glaring at him. The crew of the station, preparing GENESIS for its final shot. The automatic pistol clutched in his hand. The spurt of blood from Patrick Zala's chest as Athrun put a bullet through his heart…

"And now you pay the price for your betrayal!" Sato shouted, raising his rifle.

His attacked never connected. Rather, it didn't connect on the Justice; just as Sato fired, a flash of gold interposed itself between the two machines. Sato was forced to dodge as the gold machine's mobile turrets opened fire as one.

"If you want Athrun, you'll have to get through me first!" Cagalli Yula Athha snarled.

Sato's GINN righted itself. "So, the Lioness of Orb," he said softly. "A Natural defending a Coordinator."

"You stupid?" Cagalli shot back, drawing her double saber. "I'm a Coordinator, too!"

Sato froze for a split second in surprise. "Are you, now," he said softly. "I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise, considering who your brother is."

"Shut up!" Cagalli snarled, swinging the double saber. "You're finished!"

The GINN took aim at her optics, firing and missing by centimeters. "Die!"

"I don't think so!" Cagalli shot back. She prepared another strike, but stopped when the Justice got in the way. "Athrun?"

"Leave him to me, Cagalli," Athrun said tightly. "I can handle him."

She hesitated. "All right," she said at last. "But you be careful; I don't want to tell Kira or Lacus that you got yourself killed."

Athrun watched her go. "Don't worry," he murmured, returning his attention to the GINN. "I won't be the one dying today."

* * *

Keinn fired his spinal mount beam cannon and watched a GINN evaporate. "Another day, another kill." He transformed his machine and drew his saber, inadvertently deflecting a beam shot in the process. 

"You're crazy, Keinn," Luna said, sending a red beam through a GINN before it could hit one of the Joule team's GuAIZs.

"All part of my charm, Luna," Keinn replied, then frowned when his monitor beeped at him. "We've got incoming; checking thermal patterns…" He swore. "It's the stolen machines, _and_ the new GAT units." He keyed his comm. "_Minerva_, this is Legwitz. We've got incoming, the stolen mobile suits and the new GAT models."

"Understood, Keinn," Meyrin said. "The others are being warned; you and Luna be careful."

"Roger roger," Keinn said. He shook his head. "Not my day."

Soon enough, eight Gundams came into sight, three ZAFT designs, the rest Earth Forces. Keinn hoped that he'd get some help; he and Luna were good, but a Murasame and Gunner ZAKU weren't exactly suited for taking on eight Gundam units without support. _I think Commander Strassmeier would call this an unfavorable balance of forces._

"Keinn, Luna, need some help?" ZGMF-X56S Impulse appeared off to their left, flanked by Rey's white ZAKU Phantom.

Keinn sighed in relief. "What kept you, Shinn? Another minute and we'd be free hydrogen."

"Those guys in the GINNs are tougher than we thought," Shinn said, grimacing. "Commander Zala's fighting he leader, some guy named Sato." His lip twisted. "They're Zala loyalists, Keinn."

"Why am I not surprised?" Keinn shook his head. "Forget them, we've got bigger problems."

To the surprise of no one, Keinn was immediately attacked by the Verboten; Krieger the Neo Nazi had apparently decided he had to deal with the young Murasame pilot personally. Rey and Luna engaged the Abyss and Chaos, respectively, aided by the newly-arrived Duel and Buster. Shinn, meanwhile, charged the Gaia.

_I am really, _really_ tired of this guy!_ Keinn thought. Apparently the Alliance pilot had been practicing since their last encounter, as his attacks were coming a lot closer than Keinn would have liked. One swipe of the beam scythe very nearly bisected the Murasame; Keinn was only barely able to parry it with his saber.

"Man, what I'd give for a smoke bomb," Keinn muttered, parrying again. "Maybe if I could blind this guy I'd get some breathing space." Another scythe attack smashed into his shield. "Or maybe not."

* * *

Impulse and Gaia circled each other like wolves, neither making a move. Stellar was waiting for an opening, whereas Shinn was applying lessons learned at the Academy. He had learned early on to analyze his opponent's moves, study how they fight. It wasn't perfect -there was always the chance that the enemy would bust out a new and damaging attack- but it gave him a needed edge. 

"Look for the pattern," Alex had said after a particularly grueling exercise. "Though the chance of something new can never be discounted, there is always a pattern in there somewhere. Find it."

The last couple of times he'd fought the Gaia, Shinn hadn't had the luxury of searching for patterns. Now, however, he was paying _very_ close attention to the way the Earth Forces pilot flew, and he'd spotted something very interesting.

_It's like those GAT pilots from the last war,_ he realized. _Not the sort of berserk rage they had, but the style is similar._ Shinn recalled fighting the infamous druggie pilots in the simulator better than he wanted to. _Is it some kind of biological CPU?_ He made a mental note to talk to Alex and Athrun about it after the battle.

Still, Shinn had found the pattern. His opponent had a tendency to alternate between forms, depending on the situation. Granted that was how the Gaia was supposed to be employed, but it still gave Shinn a small window of opportunity.

_There!_ Just as the Gaia began to transform, Shinn fired his rifle. He missed, but came much closer than the Gaia's pilot would have preferred, judging by the reaction.

"Bastard!" Stellar snarled; the laser blast had almost melted her machine's left leg off. She returned fire, but the Impulse in Force mode proved far too agile to be easily brought down.

Shinn smirked. "It won't be that easy," he said. Exchanging his rifle for a Vajra saber, he started to close the distance. Stellar, deciding that melee combat would give her a better chance of actually hitting the Impulse, obliged, drawing a saber of her own. Two crimson blades locked together, straining against each other, neither gaining the upper hand.

They pushed apart, then clashed again, repeating the process several times, interspersed with occasional laser fire. Stellar grew increasingly frustrated; the Extended had been trained to basically annihilate anything that got in her way, and here a ZAFT rookie (though she didn't know he was a rookie) was fighting her to a stalemate.

"Just back off!" she snarled, hacking downwards with her saber. Shinn, a melee specialist, merely parried the strike and countered with one of his own, which Stellar barely dodged.

Shinn struck again, but found himself briefly distracted by a flash of silver. _That's Alex. What's he up to?_ He followed the Anubis's path, and his jaw dropped. _Is he nuts!?_

* * *

Alex's rifle flashed, barely missing Jean-Pierre La Flaga's Rapier. "Just what are you up to?" he demanded. "Why in blazes would Earth Forces soldiers want the colony drop to succeed!?" 

"That's not your concern, Silver Death," Terrence Starr said coldly. He fired his own rifle, striking Alex's shield. "You won't be getting out alive, so it doesn't matter."

"Don't be so full of yourself," Alex said even more coldly, energizing his Shirasaya beam sword. If Starr hadn't been on the ball, Alex's sudden attack would have bisected him. As it was, the sword almost severed the Terra's right arm. "You're overestimating your abilities, and underestimating mine."

A harsh laugh sounded. "Are we?" Gustav Krieger asked mockingly. He'd managed to temporarily force Keinn to pull back, though the Murasame wasn't actually damaged. "There are five of us, and only one of you, Spider. I think the odds favor us."

"Oh really?" Alex spun, snapped up his rifle, and fired three quick shots. It was close; if the Verboten's Geschmeidig Panzer system hadn't come up at the last instant, it would have been fatal. "I seem to be handling things well enough."

"Your overconfidence is your weakness, Coordinator," Morton Callahan cut in.

At that moment, all that saved Alex was his enhanced reflexes. Callahan opened up with the Catastrophe's full energy armament, adding a sabot round from his Panzerschreck bazooka for good measure. In the instant the beam weapons started to glow, Alex surrounded his machine with his DRAGOON-generated beam shield. Callahan's barrage still bounced him around, but he survived it.

"Now who's overestimating himself?" Zebulon Markham said. His Corsair Gundam sped past, ramming the Anubis just as Alex dropped the shield.

Alex swore under his breath. "Some FAITH operative I am. I was overconfident enough to think my Gundam would let me take on five lesser Gundams solo. Idiot!" He righted his machine, narrowly dodging another salvo from the Catastrophe.

Then the Terra was on him again, rifle in one hand, saber in the other. "It's time to put an end to this," Starr said. "You're too dangerous for us to allow you to live."

"Am I? It was you who attacked Armory One without provocation," Alex countered. He watched the other Gundam closely, simultaneously keeping a wary eye on the other four. "All I care about is protecting my friends, family, and homeland. I do not attempt to harm anyone without cause."

The Corsair rammed him again, giving Starr an opening to attack. His saber slash melted a groove in the Anubis's left arm, but did no serious damage. "You have given us more than sufficient cause," Terra's pilot said.

Alex gripped his control bars hard. _This is bad,_ he thought grimly._I'm outnumbered, and while I could conceivably outlast them with my nuclear Gundam, even the Anubis can take only so much pounding._ Unfortunately, he couldn't see a way out.

His opponents knew it, and were pressing him hard. Another attack from the Terra sent his rifle flying, followed quickly by his shield. His DRAGOON beam spiderweb bought him some breathing space, but it was temporary, and he knew it.

"It's over, Spider!" Krieger said triumphantly, pulling back his scythe. He swung it forward…

Only to have it blocked by a blue machine. "Not so fast!" Yzak Joule snarled.

Jean-Pierre La Flaga glared at him, instantly recognizing GAT-X102 Duel. "Joule," he said softly.

"Thanks, Yzak," Alex said, taking the opening to retrieve his rifle and shield. "That was too close."

Yzak turned to glare at him. "Alex, you idiot! What were you thinking, taking on all five of them by yourself!?"

"I don't think he was thinking at all," Cagalli said, joining them. "_Were_ you, Alex?"

Alex winced. He knew that tone; though he and Cagalli had comparatively few spats, those they did have tended to be nasty. _I'm going to be hearing about this one when it's over._

"No time for this," Mu said, opening fire on the Rapier. He snatched out a saber, struck at the Rapier's right arm, and gaped as it was blocked. "What the!?"

The younger La Flaga laughed. "Anti-beam-coated parrying blades," he said smugly. "Didn't expect that, did you, Mu?"

My cursed. _This could be trouble._ He stowed his saber and pulled back, firing as he moved. Jean-Pierre, quick as usual, was able to evade the attack, though he didn't return fire. He seemed intent on closing the distance again, wanting to settle things up close and personal.

Alex, meanwhile, had retaken the initiative. Reenergizing his Shirasaya, he hacked downward at a very startled Terrence Starr, who was barely able to bring his shield up in time. The Alliance pilot then had to evade as the trademark DRAGOON spiderweb reached out for him.

"Ugh! So you have help," Starr said. "We still have a numerical advantage, though!"

"Not anymore, you don't!" another voice said, and a crimson Murasame flashed past, firing its beam cannon at the Verboten. "Five on five, pal," Keinn Legwitz went on. "Sure, I'm not in a Gundam, but so what? I'm still better than you wackos could ever hope to be!"

_And that's why I wanted ZAFT to buy Murasames,_ Alex thought. Orb's latest machine was just shy of the Heliopolis line of Gundams in everything but mobility, where it actually exceeded all save the Aile Strike. It wasn't the best for melee, having only one beam saber, but its firepower more than made up for it. ZAFT's main-line ZAKU series exceeded the Murasame only in terms of versatility.

Keinn, one of the first to receive the production model, was already an expert with it. No surprise; his passion for flying had been well known since his Academy days, and had once been heard to say that the AMF-101 DINN was the pinnacle of ZAFT's mass-produced mobile suits. He'd immediately changed his tune with the introduction of the AMF-953 BABI, but his fondness for atmospheric flight models in general remained constant.

Now Keinn showed why he shared Alex's view of his machine, flying in what looked like a double figure-eight pattern and actually forcing one of the Verboten's plasma shots to double back on itself.

Alex turned back to his own opponent. The Terra bore a definite resemblance to the Strike, and he could tell that it extended to the use of multiple weapon packs, not unlike the ZAKU line or the Impulse. Still, the pilot was a rookie -Neo Roanoke had admitted as much- while Alex was highly experienced.

_And I won't be caught like that again,_ he promised himself, wincing at the thought of what Cagalli would say when the battle was over.

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

"Most of the Meteor Breakers are in position, Captain," Meyrin said. "Commander Zala is currently battling the leader of the renegades, while Shinn is engaging the Gaia." She paused. "Rey is battling the Abyss, while Luna and Dearka Elsman are fighting the Chaos." 

Talia nodded. "What about Commander Strassmeier?"

Meyrin winced. "He just engaged all five GAT units solo."

Talia almost leapt to her feet. "He did _what_!?"

"He was subsequently rescued by Lady Cagalli and Commanders La Flaga and Joule," Meyrin went on. "He has since regained the offensive, his current opponent is the machine based on the Strike."

"I see."

Siegel Clyne grimaced. "The Commander was unusually reckless, but I see no point in reprimanding him for it."

Talia looked at him curiously. "Your Excellency?"

"Two reasons, Captain," Siegel said. "One, he's a highly experienced individual, unlikely to make that mistake again."

Talia's eyes narrowed at his tone. "And the other reason?"

The Chairman actually chuckled softly. "His wife. There will probably be quite the scene when this is over."

"…I see," Talia said, covering a wince. She didn't know Cagalli very well, but what she'd seen did not bode well for the Spider of Artemis.

Bart Heim yelped in surprise. "Captain, we have another heat source approaching!" He frowned. "I don't recognize it, ma'am."

"It's not in the database?" Talia questioned. That didn't sound right.

Heim tapped keys on his board. "Checking…" His jaw dropped. "No, that's impossible." He looked at Talia, his expression stunned. "Captain, that thermal pattern is an exact match for ZGMF-X13A Providence."

* * *

Open space

* * *

Athrun was growing weary of this. The renegade leader was proving to be a maddeningly elusive target, using the debris to shield himself from Athrun's attacks. He wasn't as good on offense, which wasn't to much of a surprise; Athrun was the best pilot in ZAFT, and no mass-produced model was even close to a match for the Justice. 

Then, out of nowhere, he saw an opening. Sato's GINN appeared from behind a rock, beam carbine raised for a killing shot.

Athrun wasn't about to give him the chance. Snapping his sabers together, he sliced the tip of the carbine's barrel off, then reversed and took the GINN's right arm at the shoulder. Ignoring Sato's last-ditch attempt to attack with his katana, Athrun stabbed his combined weapon into the GINN's cockpit.

He keyed his comm as the GINN exploded. "This is Athrun Zala. The renegade leader has been destroyed."

"Understood, Commander," Meyrin said, sounding oddly tense. "Commander, you have to be careful, we've detected-"

Athrun missed the last of her transmission, having been forced to evade a sudden hail of laser fire. What made it more ominous was the fact that it had been a multidirectional attack. Not many machines were capable of that; granted two such units were known to be in the vicinity, but both were on his side.

Then he saw it. A huge, mostly gray machine with a blue torso. Clearly a Gundam, it sported a large beam rifle and a multifunction shield unit, along with a spiked backpack. It was a machine Athrun had thought he would never see again.

_The Providence!_ he thought, stunned. _But that's impossible, Kira destroyed it two years ago!_

Apparently, no one had thought to tell the machine that. Or its pilot; Athrun's mind whirled at the implications. If the Providence still existed, did that mean Rau Le Creuset had survived Jachin? Athrun tried to dismiss the idea, but it kept nagging at the back of his mind.

For the moment, it didn't matter. Athrun's main concern was survival; powerful though the Justice was, the Providence was infamous as a death machine. Its beam rifle was more powerful than most, and of course the DRAGOON system was devastating in the right hands.

All that flashed through his mind in the space of approximately two seconds. He spun and dove, his CIWS stuttering in an attempt to shoot down any weapon pods that got too close. His shield stopped a blast from the Providence's Judicium rifle; his return shot missed completely.

He swore under his breath. _Even if that isn't Commander Le Creuset, he's still way too good._ A green beam narrowly missed, and it suddenly occurred to Athrun that his enemy, whoever it was, was playing with him.

He keyed his comm again. "This is Commander Zala. I could use some help here."

"The Earth Forces GAT machines have been driven off," Meyrin said, noticeably calmer than before. "Commander Strassmeier and Lady Cagalli are headed your way; Commander La Flaga, Keinn, and Commander Joule are moving to assist Luna and Rey."

"Roger that," Athrun said. _I just hope they make it in time._

* * *

"I don't get it," Luna complained, exchanging fire with the Chaos. "Why aren't they letting us stop the colony drop? Wouldn't the Earth Forces want to stop it even more than we do?" 

Dearka Elsman snorted. "Blue Cosmos controls the Earth Forces," he reminded her, adding a beam rifle shot. "They'd love a chance to blame mass destruction on us, and this'll give them one if we're not real careful." He nodded significantly at some floating debris, never taking his eyes off the Chaos. "Those were ZAFT models, remember."

Luna winced. "Point." She took a laser blast on her shield. "And since we were able to partially break up the colony fragment before they got here, they get the benefits of a high death toll without rendering Earth uninhabitable."

The Buster flipped over, firing all its weaponry at once. Sting was able to block the laser shot -luckily for him- but the projectiles, though they didn't actually damage his machine, bounced him around quite a bit. Predictably, he was not happy.

"Bastards!" he snarled, deploying his weapon pods.

Unfortunately for him, he was facing a veteran of the first war who was intimately familiar with his own machine, and who had faced remote weapons that were far deadlier than the Chaos's pods. Dearka didn't even bother evading; his rifle and gun launcher snapped together in shotgun mode, taking out both pods before Sting could fire.

Auel wasn't doing much better. Though his Abyss Gundam was superior to Rey's ZAKU Phantom, the young ZAFT pilot was pushing the pace. A hail of fire from the Abyss's fin-mounted lasers splattered against Rey's shields, and a shot from his Callidus missed completely.

Rey then took the offensive. A series of beam rifle shots forced Auel into a defensive posture, and then the Phantom was in close, hacking away with its beam axe. Auel wanted to use the Callidus again, but he didn't dare with Rey so close.

"I-I'm not through yet!" His beam lance appeared, nearly taking the Phantom's right arm off. Rey backed away, giving Auel enough room to safely use his cannon. "Take this!"

_Not good,_ Rey thought, barely getting his shields up in time. _If this keeps up…_

"Not so fast!"

GAT-X102 Duel came seemingly out of nowhere, physically ramming the Abyss and forcing another Callidus shot off the mark. Startled, Auel fired his fin lasers again, with absolutely no effect. A jab from his beam lance was parried by the Duel's saber, whereupon the Abyss was blown back by a railgun slug.

"You're not getting away, Earth slime!" Yzak snarled. "I've had enough of you!" He fired his entire complement of ranged weaponry, forcing the Abyss farther back.

"It's too much, Auel!" Sting said, his Chaos looking rather the worse for wear. "We've done all we can, now let's get out of here!"

Auel bared his teeth, but he knew the other Extended was right. Cursing, he turned his machine around and followed Sting.

"Let them go," Yzak said. "We still have to deal with the colony fragment; the Earth Forces can wait."

"Right," Dearka agreed. "Hawke, Za Burrel, you two okay?"

Luna checked her readouts. "No serious damage. I'm still operational."

"I as well," Rey concurred.

"Good," Yzak said. He spared a worried glance off to the side, where there was still fighting. The Gaia…and the Providence.

* * *

Elsewhere, Impulse and Gaia continued to clash blades. Shinn was visibly the more skilled, but Stellar was no slouch, and she was pressing him hard. It didn't help that their machines, both being Second Stage units, were roughly equal in overall performance. Shinn's main advantage was the time he'd spent training in his unit, whereas it was only the third time Stellar had piloted the Gaia at all, in combat or not. What she lacked in experience, she made up for in sheer ferocity. 

"Just back off!" Shinn growled, beginning to lose patience. He switched to his left hand saber and pulled his rifle with his right. He batted a laser beam aside with the saber, and returned fire with the rifle. Stellar blocked it, but only barely.

"Bastard!" Stellar transformed her machine and charged, beam blades active. Shinn, recognizing the threat, did a sort of spinning move that slammed his shield into the Gaia as it passed. It knocked Stellar for a loop; she started to begin another attack, but froze when she noticed her power levels.

"Next time," Shinn said softly, watching the other machine retreat. He knew that the Gaia had only pulled back because it was low on power; whoever was piloting it was clearly no fool, and knew that continuing to fight him was futile.

He turned, watching the Justice and Providence battle. Much as he wanted to, Shinn knew that he couldn't help. He was too inexperienced, and his Impulse was no match for Le Creuset's infamous machine.

"Good luck, Commander," Shinn said softly.

* * *

Athrun was amazed that he had avoided serious damage so far. His Justice had only been grazed a couple of times, once in the left leg and once in the side. Both hits had been from DRAGOON emitters, which reinforced his suspicion that he was being played with. 

"Need some help, Athrun?" Cagalli called, firing her rifle as she moved. The Providence, to no one's surprise, dodged her attack, but it was enough to give Athrun some breathing space.

"Thanks," he managed, spotting the silver form of Alex's Anubis. "Whoever this guy is, he's good."

Alex's DRAGOON shield came up briefly, blocking an attack from the Providence. "Could it be Le Creuset?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Athrun said, firing his Fortis cannons. "He should have died when Kira stabbed him, but…" He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Save it," Cagalli advised them. "Whoever this guy is, we have to take him out."

The three machines arranged themselves in a triangle formation, with the Providence at the center. While the enemy Gundam could and did still dodge most of their attacks, it had significantly less room to maneuver.

It could still shoot back, though, and Athrun, Cagalli, and Alex spent at least as much time dodging and blocking as they did shooting. Though not really intended to attack multiple targets the way the Freedom was, the DRAGOON system was quite capable of keeping two machines at bay; Cagalli's beam reflector was offset by the Providence's beam saber.

"This guy's toying with us!" Cagalli grumbled, backing away from a quick stab.

"I noticed," Athrun responded, blocking a DRAGOON shot. "At this rate he'll be able to wear us all down."

Alex cursed as a shot struck home, burning a hole in his machine's right leg. "No kidding," he said, bracing himself for a follow-up.

It never came. The Providence abruptly jetted away, almost as though its pilot had gotten tired of the game. Athrun and the others were glad to see it go; the fight had gotten a little to close for their liking. Still, one question burned in their minds.

"What was that about, anyway?" Cagalli wondered.

* * *

"I wonder what that was all about," Morton Callahan commented. "Was that the Providence, J.-P.?" 

The senior pilot shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but it looked like the images I've seen, and whoever that pilot is, he was good enough to keep three aces in nuclear machines at bay. No AI, that's for sure."

"I agree," Krieger said. "The biggest weakness of an AI is that it cannot truly think, which makes it predictable. Whoever that was, he wasn't predictable."

"He seemed to be playing with them," Starr remarked, frowning. "Strange."

Jean-Pierre nodded. "Very strange. He could have destroyed all three of them, yet the Justice and Anubis only took minor damage."

It worried all of them, even Krieger. Leaving aside the ominous implications of Rau Le Creuset's possible survival, even if the Providence's pilot was someone entirely new it still boded ill for the Earth Forces. No one in their ranks, with the possible exception of Neo Roanoke, could take him.

"It definitely wasn't ZAFT, though," Markham said.

"Definitely," Jean-Pierre agreed. "It wouldn't have attacked Athrun Zala otherwise; considering that he reports directly to the Chairman, that would be a very stupid move."

"So who was it, then?" Callahan wondered.

Jean-Pierre's eyes narrowed. "I don't know. I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Mu could wait; this was a much greater threat. One that could possibly destroy them all, Natural and Coordinator alike.

* * *

Author's note: Break the World enters its final stage, and the Earth Forces and ZAFT clash once more. Meanwhile, Athrun Zala faces a specter of the past. 

Sorry if this one seems a touch haphazard; I occasionally wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew with this. Oh well, I just hope it's enjoyable.


	6. Chapter 6: Aftermath

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule and Keinn Legwitz are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

_Minerva_'s maiden voyage was certainly eventful, Talia reflected. Taking command of ZAFT's most advanced warship on the eve of what was almost certain to be a full scale war had been, to say the least, a surprise, but one she had weathered without too much difficulty. Even the presence of the Chairman of the Supreme Council and no fewer than four famous aces hadn't affected her much. 

The colony drop was the greatest test yet for her crew. True, all four of her Elite pilots had trained under one of the aforementioned famous aces, but they were nonetheless very inexperienced. Of the shipboard crew, Talia herself was the only one with any real battle experience.

Fortunately, they appeared to be handling things well enough. "Status report," Talia said.

"The Joule team was able to place approximately half of the Meteor Breakers," Meyrin said. She hesitated. "Captain, I've lost contact with the mobile suit team."

Talia closed her eyes. "I see." She looked over her shoulder. "Your Excellency, I suggest you transfer over to the _Voltaire_. Things are going to get more dangerous from here on out."

Siegel looked unhappy. No surprise; one of the missing pilots was his son-in-law, after all. "Yes, of course, Captain. Be careful."

"We will," Talia said. She turned. "Once the Chairman is clear, fire the Tannhauser."

Chen hesitated. "Captain, what about the mobile suits?"

"If they're still out there, we'll just have to trust them to get out of the way," Talia said. "Stopping Junius Seven at any cost is the highest priority."

"Yes, ma'am," the other said reluctantly.

* * *

Open space/upper atmosphere

* * *

"Out of the frying pan, into the fire," Shinn muttered. "Good thing the Impulse was designed to be capable of reentry." He preferred not to dwell on the fact that said feature had never been tested. 

"Don't be so uptight, kid," Mu La Flaga said. "You'll do fine. If the Strike can survive something like this, so can the Impulse."

Shinn looked at the Strike. It was glowing red with the heat of reentry, but looked otherwise normal. "Are you sure about that, Commander?"

"Positive." Mu grinned, though Shinn couldn't see it. "Kira did it once. It wasn't exactly controlled, but he survived it."

That wasn't a surprise. Shinn had flown against Kira Yamato in a simulator once, Shinn in the newly constructed Impulse, Kira in the Strike. Kira had soundly trounced him, and made it look easy. Even allowing for Shinn's total lack of real-world experience at that point, the Ultimate Coordinator's skill was nothing short of awe inspiring.

"The _Minerva_'s firing," Keinn said.

Shinn looked up, spotting the unmistakable red-orange flare of an antimatter blast. "The Tannhauser. Captain Gladys must be serious."

"She doesn't have a choice, Shinn," Athrun said. "There's no way to stop it completely, so she has to minimize the damage in any way possible."

Shinn closed his eyes, trying to imagine just what it was going to be like when the colony fragments impacted Earth's surface. Craters and tsunamis, very likely entire cities wiped off the map. A horrific death toll, hundreds of thousands certainly, millions very probably.

"The Earth Alliance is going to have a field day with this," Alex muttered.

He didn't need to elaborate. All of them were painfully aware of the Earth Alliance's penchant for thoroughly dishonest propaganda. Luna, Rey, Athrun, and Keinn as PLANT natives were all too familiar with the constant demonization of Coordinators; a disaster caused by ZAFT renegades was a heaven-sent opportunity for the Alliance.

"It won't matter that we tried to stop it," Mu said grimly. "Not to those Earth Forces bastards."

Luna swallowed. "How long do you think we'll have?"

"Not very," Mu said with a snort. "Trust me, Luna, I've seen it from the inside, clear back to the Copernicus bombing. I knew something wasn't right, but I didn't know how big it was until we met up with Andrea Strassmeier and Admiral Halberton at Orb."

"Can't this wait until we're on the ground?" Keinn asked. He shifted his Murasame to mobile armor mode. "We really should concentrate on getting down alive."

Luna chuckled softly. "For once, Keinn, you're actually making sense."

* * *

_Voltaire_, bridge

* * *

Yzak gazed worriedly out the forward viewport. With the placement of the Meteor Breakers and defeat of both the Earth Forces and Sato's renegades, his team's job was finished. Now all they could do was wait, and Yzak Joule hated waiting, especially when members of his family were in danger. 

"No contact with the _Minerva_'s mobile suit team," the parasite operator said. "Captain Gladys believes that they're still alive, just unable to make contact due to local conditions."

Yzak nodded. "Right." He glanced at the helmsman. "There's nothing more we can do here. Set course for the Homeland."

"Yes, sir."

Siegel Clyne closed his eyes. "So it begins anew," he whispered.

Yzak glanced over at him. "Your Excellency?"

Siegel sighed. "As you probably know, your cousin has been predicting a new war since the last one ended. Nevertheless, I doubt that even he anticipated something like this."

"He didn't," Yzak agreed. "Alex knew some of Zala's supporters were still at large, but he never thought they'd pull a stunt like this."

"Yeah," Dearka said quietly. "I don't think anyone did. I mean, sure, no one trusts the Earth Forces, but we've got Orb on our side, so it's not like our people would want to wreck the whole planet."

The Chairman nodded. "This was far beyond anything anyone ever expected, and I fear that it will have wide-reaching repercussions."

"Word from the Homeland is Kyoji Seiran is coming for a visit," Yzak said. "Sounds like Lord Uzumi wants to show his continued support."

Siegel managed a smile. "The mere fact that Commander Strassmeier and Lady Cagalli haven't divorced is proof enough of that, but I appreciate it nonetheless. Very well, I will leave you to your duties."

"Of course, sir," Yzak said, saluting.

When the Chairman had gone, Yzak studied the tabletop display, contemplating the day's events. He vividly remembered the days following the Bloody Valentine. The only event that had angered him as much had been his cousin's abduction following the Mandelbrot Incident. That combined with the death toll at Junius Seven and his brother's apparent death in the battle had prompted him to join ZAFT.

_Now it's starting all over again. Didn't those Earth Forces bastards learn their lesson last time!?_ He knew the truth, though. So long as Blue Cosmos remained in control of the Alliance, conflicts between Earth and the PLANTs were inevitable.

Yzak gave the fiery spectacle one last look, then turned and left the bridge.

* * *

_Minerva,_ hangar

* * *

Alex popped his hatch and stretched. The battle in orbit had been his most strenuous action since Jachin Due, and not just because of his ill-conceived attack on the Alliance Gundams. He had never expected to encounter the Providence again, not after Kira had defeated it at the end of the last war. 

So it was that Alex was grateful for a chance to stretch his legs. Not that he would be able to relax quite yet…

Pretty much everyone in the hangar was staying well away from the Anubis and Akatsuki. Mu La Flaga, Athrun Zala, Keinn Legwitz, Rey Za Burrel, Lunamaria Hawke, and Shinn Asuka had gathered together near the Impulse. Most of the mechanics were busy around Luna's ZAKU.

"_Alex, what on Earth were you thinking!?"_

More than one person winced as Cagalli Yula Athha stormed up to Alex and punched him in the face. For his part, the Spider didn't appear to react; he merely allowed her strike to connect, then met her gaze.

"Spousal abuse," Keinn quipped, nudging Shinn.

"Quiet," Shinn muttered back.

Cagalli was still glaring. "You took on five top-of-the-line models all alone, and almost got yourself killed. Just what got into you, anyway!?"

Alex glanced away briefly. "I was overconfident," he said softly. "I thought the power of the Anubis would allow me to outfight -or, if necessary outlast- those new machines. I was wrong, almost fatally. If you and Yzak hadn't turned up when you did, I probably wouldn't have survived."

"That's right," Cagalli snarled. "And then I…I would've…" She choked, seemingly unable to continue.

"I think the Commander's going to be on the couch for a while," Keinn murmured.

Athrun shook his head. "Cagalli's not like that. When she's done ranting at him, she'll probably cry on his shoulder. She's too happy that he survived to stay mad for very long."

Alex looked down at Cagalli, struck by her resemblance to her brother. Indeed, allowing for the obvious gender differences they were almost identical. The primary differences were hair and eye color, Kira's brown and violet to Cagalli's blonde and gold.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Cagalli glared at him a heartbeat longer, then buried her face in his chest, crying softly. "Just…don't do that again, okay?"

"I won't," Alex assured her. He smiled slightly. "I don't make the same mistake twice."

There was an almost palpable release of tension among the gathered pilots and techs. Of the group, only Mu and Athrun had ever seen Cagalli angry, and they made sure to be very cautious when it happened. Alex, they knew, had just gotten off very lightly.

"Well, I guess that's-" Shinn began, only to break off when the whole ship shook. "What the!?"

"Shockwave," Rey said, having recovered before almost anyone else. "From the colony fragments."

More than one person winced. If they had felt the impact when no fragments had struck anywhere near them, then it must have been well-nigh apocalyptic.

"At least we were able to keep it from crashing intact," Keinn said in the tone of someone determined to find a silver lining.

Shinn shook his head. "It won't matter, Keinn. The Earth Forces will still blame us, they'll demand some insane concessions from the Council, the Council will refuse, and we'll have another war on our hands."

"Shinn's right," Cagalli said, looking more composed, though her eyes were red. "Even before Orb allied with the PLANTs the Earth Forces were making some pretty extreme demands. They wanted Alex's sister Andrea extradited to stand trial for desertion."

"Of course, they neglected to mention that she hadn't been a volunteer in the first place, but rather had been abducted for their Combat Coordinator program," Alex added, his eyes briefly appearing colder than usual. No surprise; that event was understandably a sore spot with him. "I killed one of the 'recruiters'."

Shinn grimaced, though he certainly approved. "Good riddance." He turned to gaze out the open hatch, watching the sun set over the Pacific.

* * *

George Glenn Spaceport, Aprilius One

* * *

"Lord Seiran, we're landing now," the shuttle's pilot said. 

Kyoji Seiran nodded. "Right." He waited a few seconds, until he felt the shuttle setting down, then unstrapped.

Since his meeting with the Atlantic Federation ambassador, Kyoji had gotten a new outfit, one that he had personally designed. It consisted of white pants, a white ruffled shirt, a blue jacket with gold trim and epaulets, white gloves, and knee-high black boots. He also wore a rapier at his left hip; unlike most ceremonial blades, his was quite functional. The ensemble was fancy enough to emphasize his aristocratic background -his mission was partly diplomatic, after all- yet comfortable enough that he could wear it for long periods.

_Might as well get this over with,_ he thought. Much as he liked the PLANTs, and respected Siegel Clyne, Kyoji had never been fond of diplomatic missions.

The person waiting for him at the bottom of the shuttle's ramp drove all such thoughts from his mind. She looked like Lacus Clyne, but Kyoji knew that she couldn't be Lacus Clyne. He'd spoken to Lacus Clyne just before boarding his shuttle back in Orb, so the girl in front of him couldn't be the same person. _Does she have a twin that she never mentioned or something?_

"Welcome to Aprilius One, Lord Seiran," the girl said, holding out her hand. She sounded like Lacus, too. "My name is Meer Campbell; I'm acting as a body double for Lacus Clyne."

Kyoji nodded. That explained things. Lacus was high-profile enough that a body double was a logical precaution. "Kyoji Uzuki Seiran," he said, clasping Meer's hand. "But please, just call me Kyoji; excessive formality gets on my nerves."

She laughed. "Chairman Clyne warned me about that. Okay, then, please call me Meer. In private, that is; I wouldn't be much of a body double if people used my real name in public, now would I?"

Kyoji grinned. "You've got a point there." He jerked his head at the shuttle. "When I heard about the remains of Junius Seven starting to fall out of orbit, I had my people load my new mobile suit at the last minute. Thought it might come in handy."

Meer sobered. "You may be more right than you thought. While you were in transit, the _Minerva_ and the Joule team attempted to break up the colony fragment. Unfortunately, they were only partially successful, due to Earth Forces interference."

Kyoji swore under his breath. "What kind of death toll are we talking about?"

"I don't know the details," Meer admitted. "I don't think anyone does. It's been confirmed, however, that the cities of Rome and Shanghai have been destroyed, and that there have been numerous ocean strikes."

"Ocean strikes," Kyoji repeated, closing his eyes in pain. Since Orb was an island nation, it was particularly vulnerable to the tsunamis that would inevitably result. Not to mention Rome and Shanghai; that was several million dead right there. "Any reaction from the Alliance member states?"

Meer shook her head. "I don't think so. Chairman Clyne would know better, but I've heard the Alliance member states, especially the Eurasian Federation, are in a state of confusion."

"The Eurasian Federation is always in a state of confusion," Kyoji said with a snort. "They've never been as united as the Atlantic Federation; trying to homogenize Europe like that was a stupid idea to begin with. Too many long-standing rivalries."

Meer blinked in surprise. Somehow, she'd never expected the newest head of the Seiran family to be quite so snide. Perhaps she should have, given Cagalli Yula Athha's reputation for irreverence, but it was still a bit startling.

"I'll take your word for it," she said at last.

Whatever she might have said next was cut off by an ear shattering blast. After a split second of disorientation, Kyoji identified it as an explosion. Judging by the smoke pouring from an area to their left, it was a fairly large one.

Meer staggered. "What was that!?"

"A bomb," her bodyguard said, gun already in hand. "Lord Seiran, we need to move quickly."

Kyoji held up a hand, silencing the woman. "Wait. There's something not right here."

"Of course there's something not right," the bodyguard said, sounding more than a little impatient. "Lord Seiran-"

Kyoji tackled her and Meer both, knocking them to the ground. "There's two gunmen heading our way," he hissed. "That's why I said something's not right here."

"Doesn't matter," a new voice said. "The three of you will die right here."

Kyoji slowly turned. Their attackers had somehow already gotten in close; he recognized their weapons as ZAFT-issue machine pistols. "What's the point of this?" he demanded, jerking his head at the burning building. "If you're after us, then why kill people who aren't involved?"

The taller of the attackers sneered. "Wouldn't you just love to know?"

A gun cracked, but neither assassin had fired. Meer's bodyguard, taking advantage of Kyoji's brief stalling tactic, had raised her own pistol and shot the other man through the nose. At almost the same moment, Kyoji drew his rapier and plunged it into his assailant's chest.

By the time help arrived, it was over.

* * *

Chairman Clyne's office

* * *

"…All in all, it wasn't how I'd planned to spend my time here," Kyoji finished. 

Siegel nodded. "I've ordered an investigation into the spaceport bombing. Perhaps we'll have some answers for you by the time you leave for Earth. In the meantime, your mobile suit -the Tallgeese, I believe you called it- has been moved to a secure hangar."

"Thanks," Kyoji said. "I'd rather not have it stolen." He leaned forward. "So how's the situation on Earth? Meer told me about Rome and Shanghai, but judging by the rumors I heard on the way here there's a lot more to it."

The Chairman sighed. "I'm afraid that's an understatement. Your own nation got off lightly, thanks to the rugged coastlines, but others were not so fortunate. The death toll has been estimated at more than two hundred million."

Kyoji clenched his fists. "That makes the Bloody Valentine look like a paper cut," he bit out. "And you can bet that once the Earth Forces stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off, they'll blame _us_ for it."

"It has already begun," Siegel told him. "There has not been word from the Alliance member nations as yet, but Blue Cosmos has released a statement to the media blaming the 'unnatural space monsters of the PLANTs' for the disaster."

The young Orb noble snorted derisively. "And the masses are almost certainly taking it at face value," he said, disgusted. "Which means that sooner or later public pressure will force their governments to take measures against us."

"Agreed," Siegel said. "In the wake of the Armory One attack and the Alliance intervention during the colony drop, we are for all practical purposes we are already at war, but the Alliance will undoubtedly make at least a pretense of diplomacy first."

Kyoji rolled his eyes. "I guarantee their demands are going to be so ridiculous that we won't even have to pretend to accept them."

"Again, I agree." Siegel stood. "However, we have been planning for war for quite some time, as you probably know. In fact, we have another mobile suit almost ready for deployment."

"Another one?" Kyoji repeated.

Siegel activated a screen, displaying a red Gundam-type mobile suit. "This is the ZGMF-X23S Savior, the last of the Second Stage units. Its development was delayed, so the Earth Forces never learned of its existence. It is similar to your Murasame in that it transforms into a jet fighter of sorts, but it is more heavily armed."

Kyoji examined the image closely. There was a very definite resemblance to the Murasame, but the Savior Gundam was both better armed and more streamlined. He estimated it had at least half again the Murasame's speed and agility.

"Impressive," he said at last. "I wouldn't want to face it."

"We couldn't have done it without Orb," Siegel said. "As with the other Second Stage machines, it was built using a mixture of ZAFT and Orb technology, thanks to Morgenroete."

Kyoji nodded. "I know; that's why the Impulse looks so much like the Strike." He stood. "Anything else?"

"No," Siegel said. "Miss Campbell will be your guide for the time being."

Kyoji smiled. That suited him just fine. "Right, thanks."

* * *

Guest quarters, Orb embassy

* * *

In light of the fact that Meer was supposed to be playing the role of Lacus Clyne, she and Kyoji had decided it would be inadvisable for them to have dinner in public. Given that the real Lacus was married to ace pilot Athrun Zala, such an act would have sent the wrong signal, to put it mildly. 

"I left for space the same day that we got word of the colony drop," Kyoji said, sipping his drink. "I never expected it to be this bad, though."

"It wouldn't have been if the Earth Forces hadn't interfered," Meer said. "How is Lacus doing?"

Kyoji shrugged. "Fine, last I saw. She's staying with the Yamatos, as usual when she's in Orb. I think she was enjoying the trip up until the Earth Forces hit Armory One." He took another sip. "That's why I brought Tallgeese."

"If I may ask, just what is this Tallgeese?" Meer said. "You said something about a new mobile suit."

Kyoji looked slightly sheepish. "It's new to me, but the thing is actually about thirteen years old. It was built in the early sixties, then put into storage. Unfortunately, I can't ask the developer about it, since he died in the Copernicus bombing."

"That's sad," Meer said. "Do you know how long you'll be here?"

Another shrug. "A couple of weeks, at least. I'll be meeting with some ZAFT officers, like Commander Strassmeier's cousin Yzak Joule, and probably have another meeting or two with Chairman Clyne." A feral grin touched his face. "I'll be going home in the Tallgeese itself; apparently it was designed to be able to survive reentry."

Meer shook her head. This was no ordinary noble. "I'll probably be going to Earth in the near future. Possibly to Orb itself."

Kyoji grinned. "Maybe I'll see you there."

* * *

_Minerva_, briefing room

* * *

Alex rubbed his face wearily. _Minerva_'s clashes with _Girty Lue_ and _Seraphim_ had been harder on the ZAFT ship than he'd realized. The battle in the Debris Belt had resulted in at least one hull breach, though no one had died from it, and it had been quickly patched up. Reentry stress had only added to the strain. 

"Captain, we have managed to complete at least temporary repairs," Trine said, glancing at a clipboard. "However, I believe we should make port as soon as possible."

"Agreed," Talia said. "There are only two practical choices at this point, Orb and Carpentaria. Commander Zala?"

"Orb," Athrun said at once. "They're closer, and Morgenroete could repair this ship a lot faster than the Carpentaria facilities could."

Cagalli nodded. "Besides, Mu and I have to report on the Armory One incident, as well as Junius Seven."

"Orb it is, then," Talia said. "Commander Strassmeier, what is your assessment of the new Earth Forces machines you faced?"

Alex frowned slightly. "The mobile armor was, as you know, a TS-MA4 Exus, a descendent of the Moebius Zero design. I wouldn't be particularly concerned about it -it is a mobile armor, after all- were it not for the fact that I could sense its pilot, which means this Captain Roanoke has the same powers as Mu and me. That does not bode well."

He took a sip of water. "As for the new mobile suits, they are all clearly based on earlier Earth Forces designs, specifically the Duel, Strike, Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider."

Talia nodded. "What of the pilots who stole our machines?"

"I think they're Biological CPUs," Shinn said, speaking up for the first time.

Athrun's head whipped around. "Are you sure!?" he demanded.

"Pretty sure," Shinn said. "The way they fought reminded me of simulator battles with those three. It wasn't quite the same; I think the original pilots were more aggressive."

"They were," Athrun said, looking murderous. "Just great, a new crop of Biological CPUs. That's the last thing we need right now."

Alex closed his eyes, memories of his sister's experiences flashing through his mind. His right hand briefly clenched, then relaxed. _I can't lose control. That would doom not just me, but very possibly my comrades as well._ He opened his eyes and glanced at Cagalli._My family, too._

"We'll report that to Orb and the Council," Talia said. "For now, we need to reach port and make repairs. The pilots can rest for the moment; it's unlikely that we'll be attacked again at this point. The Earth Forces have bigger things to deal with right now."

"Agreed," Alex said with a nod. "We can't do anything in the shape we're in."

Talia stood. "Dismissed."

* * *

President Copeland's office, Washington, D.C.

* * *

"I hope you're satisfied, Lord Djibril," Hiram Dalton said in an icy tone. 

The leader of Blue Cosmos raised an eyebrow. "Satisfied, Director?"

"More than two hundred million dead," the DCI went on in that same tone. "Entire cities wiped off the map, tsunamis, coastal flooding, countless millions homeless, disease and starvation sure to be rampant before long, all for your precious propaganda coup." He glared at the terrorist leader. "I repeat, are you satisfied."

Djibril gave him a condescending smile. "Very. Now we won't have to persuade the masses of the necessity of destroying the PLANTs. Those very masses will _demand_ that we do so."

"And that's worth the sacrifice of so many innocents?" Dalton stared at Djibril in disbelief. "_Naturals_, Lord Djibril; I highly doubt many Coordinators died in this catastrophe."

Djibril chuckled softly. "You know, you're far too squeamish for an intelligence man. Their deaths were not in vain. Now we can crush those space monsters once and for all."

_Bastard._ Dalton subsided, however. Pushing harder was unlikely to help, and could well get him killed. Moreover, much as he hated to admit it, Djibril had a point. An intelligence man was supposed to be cool and collected, and Dalton was starting to lose that.

"Enough," President Copeland said. "What is done is done. Now, Marshall Simmons, what is your evaluation of the battle in the colony ruins?"

Tobias Simmons cleared his throat. "Most of the engagement went as could be expected, though Strassmeier's attempt to take all five of our new machines by himself was an unusual move for him."

Dalton snorted. "Even the best make mistakes, Field Marshall, and overconfidence is a natural one for someone like him."

"True," Simmons conceded. "It is unlikely to happen again, however; that man seldom makes the same mistake twice. What concerns me is not Alex Strassmeier, Athrun Zala, or their nuclear-powered mobile suits; they have been a known factor for some time now." He brought up an image of a mobile suit on the wall screen. "This was taken by Lieutenant Jean-Pierre La Flaga's GAT-X121 Rapier."

Copeland and Djibril both looked faintly puzzled, but Dalton's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That machine looks familiar."

"It shook, Director Dalton," Simmons said. "That is the ZGMF-X13A Providence, though destroyed at Jachin by Kira Yamato's ZGMF-X10A Freedom."

Copeland swore. "So we're dealing with Rau Le Creuset on top of everything else?"

"Not necessarily, Mister President." Simmons shook his head. "Even if that is the original Providence, it is very likely that Le Creuset died of radiation poisoning resulting from being caught in the fringe of GENESIS's final shot. That's what our med people believe, at any rate."

"Are you saying that was an AI?" Dalton asked.

The Supreme Commander shook his head again. "Not a chance in hell. That machine held off Athrun Zala, Alex Strassmeier, and Cagalli Yula Athha, all of them in nuclear machines, two with DRAGOON systems, with very little effort. There's no way an AI could pull that off."

Dalton nodded. "So we have a new enemy."

"A new and very dangerous enemy," Simmons agreed. "That pilot was able to hold off ZAFT's top two aces and Orb's number three ace. I don't believe we have anyone in our forces, with the possible exceptions of Captain Roanoke and Commander Hunter, who could even come close to defeating that mystery pilot."

"Very well," Copeland said. "Marshall, I want Naval Intelligence to look into this matter. Director Dalton, the same goes for your people. I realize that there is a very real possibility of turf wars, but I see no alternative. We _must_ determine who that pilot is, who he's working for, and how to stop him."

"Of course, sir," Simmons said.

Dalton nodded. "Yes, Mister President."

_It'll be more than that, though,_ the DCI carefully did not say aloud._There's something very wrong here; a colony drop should be too much even for the leader of Blue Cosmos. Azrael would never have pulled a stunt like that._

* * *

_Minerva_, hangar

* * *

The sound of rapid typing echoed in the almost deserted hangar. Aside from the youngster working in his cockpit, the only person present was one of the mechanics, performing routine maintenance on Luna's ZAKU. The pilot, absorbed in his own work, was oblivious. 

"Keinn! Keinn, are you here?" Lunamaria stepped into the hangar. She looked around, then up at the crimson Murasame. "Keinn, this isn't like you. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Keinn pushed his terminal aside. "I was just tweaking my machine's OS," he said, standing and moving to the elevator.

Luna gave him a skeptical look. "Instead of planning your next prank?"

"While we're on alert?" Keinn snorted. "I'm crazy, Luna, but not that crazy. I want to make sure my machine's ready for action, like the Commander taught us. Especially after the Providence turned up."

"Got a point there," Luna agreed. "Rey's a bit off balance, not that I blame him." She glanced at Keinn. "Do you think it was Le Creuset?"

He shrugged. "Not a clue. It was definitely a human pilot; no way an AI could pull off what that guy did. They're too predictable."

That was true enough. Luna recalled what she'd read on the subject, and it fit with what Keinn was saying. An AI would've had difficulty against virtually anyone, let alone three aces in nuclear Gundams. No, that was definitely a living pilot.

"Still, I'll have an edge in atmosphere," Keinn said with a grin. "Simple aerodynamics tells me that a Murasame will fly rings around something like the Providence."

"There's still the DRAGOON system," Luna pointed out.

Keinn shrugged. "I didn't say I'd win, just that I wouldn't be an easy target."

"True," Luna conceded. "Better than my ZAKU, anyway; as long as we're on Earth, I'll be playing gun turret on the upper deck."

"Cheer up, maybe they'll give you something better," Keinn said, then yawned. "Okay, I'll take your advice now. Time for some shuteye."

Luna couldn't help grinning. "Good night, Keinn, you lunatic."

He just laughed.

* * *

Alex and Cagalli's quarters

* * *

Despite being a light sleeper, Alex had never really been one to lie awake late at night. It had happened a time or two after his sister's abduction, but by and large insomnia had never been much of a problem for him. 

This was different. His mishap with the Earth Forces' new Gundams had been a simple matter of overconfidence, but the encounter with the Providence had shaken him. It was highly unusual for a single machine, Gundam or not, to hold him off so easily.

_And not just me. Athrun and Cagalli fought it, too, and none of us could even scratch it!_ Then there was the matter of Hunter. Alex was still disturbed by that encounter. Something about the man had just seemed wrong.

"You're_ still_ awake?"

Alex turned his head. Cagalli was propped up on her elbow, looking at him. "Yeah. I have a lot on my mind."

"You mean the Providence?"

"That, and that Alliance officer, Hunter." Alex shook his head. "There was definitely a human pilot in the Providence; I could sense him."

Cagalli's eyes widened slightly. "So it could be Le Creuset?"

"I don't know. All I know for certain is that it was someone like Mu and me. Or that Roanoke guy." Alex sighed. "I didn't bring it up at the briefing earlier because I wasn't certain. I didn't want to speculate too much."

"But you think it was Le Creuset."

Alex sighed again. "I don't see how that's possible; Kira's attack at Jachin should have been fatal, to say nothing of GENESIS. At the same time, abilities like mine are quite rare. I was very surprised when Kira suddenly manifested such powers, and even more surprised when I first met Rey Za Burrel."

Cagalli didn't reply at first. Even in peacetime, she'd noticed that Alex was seldom able to relax completely. She suspected that, like his sleep patterns, it was a legacy of his experiences after the Mandelbrot Incident.

"You're worrying too much," she said at last. "I know you're obsessed with protecting the PLANTs, and I don't blame you for it, but sometimes it seems like you're trying to do a bit too much. When was the last time you had a vacation?"

"Just after our wedding," Alex said promptly.

"That's what I thought," Cagalli replied. "All right, once we get to Orb, you're taking at least two days off; the only reason I'm not saying more is because something's about to blow up in our faces, so you can't afford to be away longer than that."

Alex opened his mouth to argue, then closed it without speaking. She was right, he realized, right that he needed a rest, however short. If they were going to be involved in a full scale war in the near future, he needed to be in top form.

"Very well," he said at last. "But _only_ two days; I'm a FAITH operative, remember. I have bigger responsibilities than any team commander."

Cagalli moved closer, wrapping her arms around him. "That's all I ask." She closed her eyes. "Good night."

Alex returned the embrace, finally relaxing. "'Night, Cagalli."

* * *

Author's note: With the _Minerva_ on Earth, Break the World behind them, they have a chance to rest. Meanwhile, things appear to be going awry in the PLANTs. 

Okay, a faster update than I expected. I can't say whether this will be a trend or not.


	7. Chapter 7: On the Brink

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule and Keinn Legwitz are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

Morgenroete dock, Onogoro Island, Orb Union

* * *

It was a very unusual group that greeted the _Minerva_ on its arrival at Orb. First and foremost was Chief Representative Uzumi Nara Athha. Having the head of the government personally meet an arriving allied warship wasn't exactly common practice, but given that his daughter and son-in-law were onboard, it was to be expected in this case.

Beside him was one of his closest allies among the Orb nobility, Rondo Mina Sahaku. The dark-haired, crimson-eyed woman had once been a thorn in his side, but her brother's death at Cagalli's hand, along with her marriage to a former ZAFT ace, had caused her to reevaluate her goals.

Her husband stood at her elbow. At one time, Samorei Joule had worn the red uniform of a ZAFT Elite. Now he wore the black-and-gold of the Black Knights, a small group of skilled warriors that answered directly to Mina. Though his sliver hair was shorter, he bore a very close resemblance to his brother, ZAFT ace Yzak Joule.

Lacus Clyne stood out somewhat less than usual, mainly because her body double was currently in the spotlight. Not that she minded; she understood the necessity, and it gave her time to rest. At the moment, all she wanted was to see Athrun.

Two young women in ZAFT uniform stood together. Andrea Strassmeier, who had inherited command of her brother's unit, wore red, while Lia Ramius, captain of the _Valkyrie_ and Alex's best friend, was dressed in the black and gray of a ship commander.

Last, but certainly not least, was Captain Kira Yamato, pilot of ZGMF-X10A Freedom and Orb's greatest ace. Gone was the awkward, socially inept college student of January C.E. 71. In his place stood a confident, experienced soldier, with poise befitting a member of one of the Five Noble Families. There was still a hint of innocence in his eyes, but that was perceptible to very few.

_Minerva_ slid into its appointed place at the dock, in line with the majestic white form of the _Archangel_ and the menacing midnight-black shape of the _Valkyrie_. The main hatch opened a moment later, and several officers stepped out, led by _Minerva_ captain Talia Gladys.

Lord Uzumi stepped forward. "Welcome to Orb, Captain Gladys. I understand your journey was somewhat eventful."

"That's a rather serious understatement, sir," Talia said, clasping his hand. "At the moment, my crew is in desperate need for some R&R."

"And the ship is in desperate need of some repairs," Lia observed. She looked at the other white-uniformed ZAFT officer. "Nice to see you in one piece, Alex. You're lucky you're still alive after what happened at Junius Seven."

Alex gave her a pained look. "Cagalli and Yzak both read me the riot act on that incident. I admit I was overconfident, and paid for it. It will not happen again."

"It better not," Sam said, his expression not quite a glare. "You're supposed to be one of ZAFT's top aces, not some rookie who gets in over his head."

"Sam's right," Andrea put in. There was no almost about her expression; it was a glare. "You pull a stunt like that again and I swear I'll beat you senseless!"

Alex held up his hands. "All right, all right. I told you it won't happen again."

His sister glared for a heartbeat longer, then came forward and hugged him. "Good."

Talia and Arthur Trine looked on in some bemusement. It was unusual, to say the least, for Alex Strassmeier to be in such a situation in public. He'd gone from an emotionless warrior to what looked like nothing so much as an aggrieved schoolboy.

"Theirs is an odd family," Uzumi murmured. "I knew Alex's father, and he was far from normal, even for a Coordinator."

"I…see," Talia replied, wincing as Cagalli tackled her brother, almost knocking him over. Lacus and Athrun, meanwhile, were conversing in quiet tones. "Anyway, Lord Uzumi, we have a lot to discuss."

Uzumi nodded. "I anticipated that."

* * *

Athha residence, Uzumi's office

* * *

A few minutes later, Uzumi was looking grim. "I see. We had received report of Earth Forces interference, but the reappearance of the Providence is even more ominous."

"That doesn't mean that it's Le Creuset," Murrue Ramius said. She arrived minutes earlier, accompanied by Natarle Badgiruel, Andrew Waltfeld, and Erica Simmons. "For all we know, it could have been an AI."

Alex shook his head firmly. "It was no AI, Murrue. I could sense the pilot; that alone proves that there was a human in there, and one with the same powers as Mu and me. Whether it was Rau Le Creuset himself is open to question; that the pilot was human is not."

"He's right," Simmons said. "An AI is by its very nature predictable, that's why we don't rely only on simulations for training. A simulator can prepare you to fight against a machine; it _cannot_ prepare you to fight against a man."

Uzumi's brother, Homura, looked puzzled. "Why is that?"

"It is impossible for a computer to truly duplicate the human factor," Alex told him. "For one simple reason: computers cannot _think_. Without that ability, any simulation is at best a partial solution."

Homura nodded. "I see."

"In any case, this is only one of many dilemmas," Uzumi said. "Even if it is Rau Le Creuset, he is only one man in a single mobile suit."

Talia leaned forward. "Has there been any official response from the Alliance, sir?"

"Nothing public, but I will be meeting with the Atlantic Federation's ambassador tomorrow," Uzumi said, unable to suppress a grimace. "I expect it will be decidedly unpleasant."

"That still leaves Eurasia, the South African Union, and the Republic of East Asia," Natarle said.

Alex snorted derisively. "The Atlantic Federation is the only real power player left in the Alliance, Natarle. Eurasia still hasn't recovered from Spit Break; frankly, I doubt they ever will."

Waltfeld raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Alex stood and began to pace. "The Eurasian Federation has never been truly united to begin with. Now they're fracturing. National pride, rivalries, hatreds that predate the discovery of the New World, all begin to reassert themselves."

"Kyoji Seiran has been saying the same thing," Uzumi said. "I have to agree, I'm afraid."

"Unfortunately, that doesn't help us much." Alex was still pacing. "The resources the Atlantic Federation can bring to bear alone dwarf Orb and the PLANTs combined. Add in East Asia and South Africa…"

Mu winced. "You're saying we're sunk."

Alex shook his head. "I'm saying that we have a long road ahead." He sat again. "Heretofore, the Earth Alliance has, with rare exceptions, shown a distinct penchant for quantity over quality. Sooner or later that will change, and things will get very bloody."

"Alex is right," Natarle said, more than a little grim herself. "If the Earth Forces, who already have a significant numerical advantage, are able to reach qualitative parity…"

Uzumi closed his eyes. "Then they will be almost impossible to stop."

"And they may well have the means to achieve it," Alex said, "thanks to Armory One."

"What could they get from the Second Stage machines?" Homura asked, turning to Talia.

She winced. "They already have Variable Phase-shift, but reverse engineering the Second Stage models will at the very least allow them to duplicate our new weapon systems _and_ the deuterion-beam recharge system."

"And that's on top of whatever they might be cooking up on their own," Alex said. "Still, that doesn't mean we have no hope. Reverse engineering, duplicating, and mass producing new technology takes time. If we strike fast and hard, we should be able to at least contain the damage."

"In short, a protracted conflict would be to the Alliance's advantage," Uzumi said. "However, there may not be a conflict at all. I understand it is unlikely we can avoid it," he added, holding up a hand to forestall an angry comment from Alex. "However, the diplomatic approach must be tried first. If there is any way to avoid bloodshed without submitting to the Alliance, then as Chief Representative it is my duty to take that road."

Mollified, Alex nodded. "Of course, sir."

"That being said, I agree that it is highly unlikely we will be able to avoid a war," Uzumi continued. "In light of that, Orb forces will be placed on full alert." He looked at Alex, Athrun, Waltfeld, and Talia, the senior ZAFT officers present. "You may inform Chairman Clyne and the Council that Orb will carry out its obligations as an ally of the PLANTs without fail."

"Thank you, sir," Talia said.

Uzumi smiled. "Now you should get some rest. I have no doubt that you are just as exhausted as your crew."

The meeting broke up. Alex and Cagalli had the shortest trip to make; since Cagalli was an Athha, all they had to do was walk down a hall and up a flight of stairs. Alex, for his part, was glad of it; after the colony drop, all he wanted was to sleep for a week.

He had a feeling he was going to need it.

* * *

Victoria Base, South African Union

* * *

_There's only one thing I'm not going to like about this assignment,_ Jean-Pierre thought, _and that's the climate._ The heat of central Africa, even somewhat moderated by a breeze over Lake Victoria, wasn't exactly appealing to a native of Montreal.

However, the good far outweighed the bad as far as he was concerned. He'd been transferred off the _Seraphim_ almost the moment they reached Earth, and sent to Victoria Base with a new mission. Jean-Pierre was delighted on several counts; he got a two-rank promotion, and he escaped Neo Roanoke, Xavier Hunter, and Gustav Krieger the Nazi all in one fell swoop.

His new assignment was simple: Assemble and train a new mobile suit squadron, equipped with one of the Alliance's newest units. Unlike the still-secret GAT-04 Windam, which was a multirole machine, the GAT-01DX Duel Stiletto had one purpose, to destroy other mobile suits. As such, its armament was somewhat lacking compared to a 105 Dagger or Windam, just a rifle, sabers, and CIWS.

_Proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover._ Jean-Pierre had seen the specs for the Stiletto, and was looking forward to seeing them in action.

To his surprise, the base CO was there to greet him in person. "Welcome to Victoria Base, Commander La Flaga," the admiral said.

Jean-Pierre saluted. "Thank you, Admiral Benton," he said. "It's in honor to meet you." Irving Benton was quite possibly one of the most famous officers still with the Atlantic Federation.He'd commanded a _Nelson_-class warship at Jachin, and destroyed two _Nazca_-class destroyers before the stolen Blitz Gundam had filled his ship full of holes. Only Benton's leadership and drive had kept what was left of his crew alive.

Some might have seen his assignment command a ground base to be a slap in the face. Benton and Jean-Pierre both knew better.

"At ease, Commander," Benton said. "We have much to do."

Jean-Pierre nodded, falling into step with the admiral. "My orders say that I'm to form a new squadron, equipped with the latest Duel variant."

"Correct. We've already scraped up an experienced XO for you, Lieutenant Commander Thomas Markinson."

"I know the name," Jean-Pierre said. "The only Strike Dagger ace, isn't he?"

Benton nodded. "He shot down five of Orb's M1 Astrays. It would have been six, but he had the misfortune of running into Shiho Hahnenfuss. He barely escaped with his life."

Jean-Pierre whistled. "Five M1s with a basic Strike Dagger, that's better than I'd heard. Not to mention surviving a fight with a CGUE DEEP Arms."

"He had help," the admiral said. "Three 105s came to his rescue. They were destroyed by the Freedom shortly thereafter, but Markinson had returned to his ship by then." Benton's lip twisted. "My ship, as it happened; he was the sole survivor of our squadron."

Jean-Pierre shook his head. "What a disaster."

"Jachin was one disaster after another," Benton said. "Mind you, I have nothing against Coordinators, and I certainly don't condone the nuclear attack on Junius Seven, but the fact remains that the PLANTs were subservient to the sponsor nations."

The young pilot shot a startled look at his superior. "Are you saying it was a mistake to grant them their independence, sir?"

An emphatic nod. "Those space colonies were built with funding from various Earth nations. That alone means that sovereignty rightly belongs to the Alliance. I have no problem with allowing them a certain amount of autonomy, but ultimate sovereignty belongs to us."

"I see," Jean-Pierre said. He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Admiral, do you believe we should reassert authority over the PLANTs?"

Benton smiled. "You needn't be quite so diffident, Commander. Your mission is very important to the Alliance, so you have a bit more leeway than your relatively junior rank would imply." He waved a hand. "In answer to your question, that is precisely the position I take. The people of the PLANTs rebelled, and instead of punishing them, we rewarded them by recognizing their independence." He shook his head. "Never reward lawbreaking, Commander. It only encourages more of the same."

"I'll bear that in mind," Jean-Pierre said.

"That being said, I do not claim that the sponsor nations were blameless," Benton went on. "We were wrong to keep them demilitarized, thus leaving them vulnerable to Blue Cosmos, and we were also wrong to prohibit them from growing their own food."

Jean-Pierre nodded. He agreed with pretty much everything so far. "What about Orb?"

Benton shrugged. "So long as they maintained their neutrality, I had nothing against them. I have no use for this 'inherent responsibilities as a nation of Earth' garbage that the government used in the last war, and will probably use in this war."

"And with about the same effect," Jean-Pierre said sourly. "Athha hated our guts even before his daughter fell for that ZAFT ace. He's not going to go for it, Admiral."

"I know," Benton said sadly. "Much as I dislike it, we will have to go after Orb. Neutral is one thing, actively aiding the PLANTs is something else entirely. If they're not with us, then they should stay out of it entirely."

"Agreed, sir."

They reached the mobile suit hangar, where Jean-Pierre's Rapier Gundam was already being moved. Eleven other mobile suits were visible, painted dark blue with gray trim. The GAT-01DX Duel Stiletto was the latest design based on the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam. It made up for its light armament with increased mobility; indeed, despite the complete lack of anything remotely resembling an airfoil, the Duel Stiletto was quite possibly the most maneuverable non-Gundam unit the Alliance had ever produced.

"I look forward to seeing those in action," Jean-Pierre said softly.

"You will soon enough," Benton told him. "This is the only mass-production model we have that can even come close to the mobility of Orb's Murasame, and yours will be the first squadron to use them."

Jean-Pierre nodded, this time not speaking. He was looking forward to it, all right. He couldn't wait to show Orb and ZAFT that they weren't the only ones who had mastered the art of mobile suit warfare. They'd been too confident for far too long.

_Soon,_ he thought. _Soon._

* * *

Streets of Orb capital

* * *

It was a measure of how much things had changed in the space of two and a half years that five ZAFT soldiers, four of them elites, could walk the streets of Orb's capital and not draw more than an occasional glance. As it was, Shinn and his friends weren't the only ZAFT people in sight; he recognized a couple of classmates who'd wound up assigned to an amphibious unit based in Orb, piloting the new UMF/SSO-3 ASH.

"Nice place," Keinn commented, looking around appreciatively. "Kinda hard to get used to, though."

Shinn looked at him over his shoulder. "Is this your first time on-planet, Keinn?"

"It's the first time for all of us, I think," Rey said quietly, glancing at the Hawkes. "We were all born and raised in the PLANTs, after all."

"Rey's right," Luna said. "We're not used to this kind of wide open space."

Shinn nodded. He recalled Alex telling him about one of his classmates, Kuzzey Buskirk. A resident of the now-destroyed Heliopolis colony literally since birth, Kuzzey had had difficulty adjusting to Earth, particularly once they began their ocean crossing.

Meyrin appeared to be enjoying herself. The cheerful redhead was fascinated by the sights; she'd heard a lot about Orb, mainly from Shinn, and had long wanted to see the place firsthand. Now that the opportunity had arrived, she was having the time of her life.

"Hey, Shinn," Keinn said. "Isn't this where you saw that parade back in 71?"

"Yeah," Shinn said. "It's a big part of why I joined ZAFT." He smiled at the memory. "A whole bunch of mobile suits came through. I'd never seen anything like it."

Nor had anyone else in Orb. Mobile suits in general were still a relatively new phenomenon in Orb at that point. The sight of so many at once, even though most were ZAFT models, had resulted in an upsurge in military enlistment. Of course, just because a machine was ZAFT-built didn't make it a ZAFT unit; Kira Yamato's Freedom was an example, and Orb had recently purchased the ASH.

"This really is a nice place," Luna remarked.

"The Land of Peace," Keinn said, his arms stretched out expansively. "'Course, I'm not sure how peaceful it can be when it's got people like Lady Cagalli, meaning no disrespect to her."

Shinn laughed. "Don't worry about that, Keinn. I don't think she's ever even _pretended_ to be peaceful."

"Point."

Shinn sat on a nearby bench. Aside from the number of ZAFT people visible, Orb hadn't changed much. People went about their business as they always had, the main difference being that they cared more about what happened outside their homeland. Pro-PLANT sentiment was very much in evidence.

His friends, PLANT natives all, found that very reassuring. None of them were afflicted with the anti-Natural prejudice of Zala and his ilk, and all were painfully aware of the PLANTs' strength relative to the Earth Forces. Allies of any kind were welcome.

"Looking at this place, you'd never know we're on the brink of another war," Meyrin said. She was somewhat wide-eyed.

"Don't read too much into it, Meyrin," Rey advised. "It might not look like it, but for all practical purposes Orb is a fortress. That was true even before we allied with them; now…" He didn't need to finish.

Meyrin nodded. She recalled that much from her time at the Academy; the Battle of Orb was required study even for people who would never be sent into combat. The combination of Orb's M1s, the _Archangel_, and Kira Yamato's legendary prowess with the Freedom were more than enough to give the Earth Forces fits, even without ZAFT added.

"This is what we joined ZAFT to protect," Keinn said, unusually serious. "Our homeland, _and_ our friends," that last with a nod at Shinn, an Orb native.

Shinn smiled. "That's right. I won't let the Earth Forces touch my homeland again."

* * *

Orb Parliament Building, Chief Representative's Office

* * *

Judging by what Alex could see of his expression, Ambassador Leonard Phillips was not a happy man. No surprise; the message he had to deliver was reportedly more of an ultimatum, so Alex's presence in full uniform, FAITH insignia clearly visible, was unlikely to be a welcome sight. Considering that having Alex there was a not-so-subtle reminder of where Orb's loyalties lay, Uzumi didn't care if the ambassador liked it.

_I give it five minutes at most before Phillips objects,_ Alex though. At which point there was a very real chance of an explosion; Cagalli sat next to Alex, trying not to glare at the ambassador.

"I understand you have an urgent matter to discuss with me, Mister Ambassador," Uzumi said.

Phillips nodded. "I do indeed, Lord Uzumi." He gave Alex a disapproving look. "In private."

_That was even faster than I thought._ Alex's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. _Not exactly subtle, either. What's going on?_

"Commander Strassmeier is my son-in-law, and a high-ranking member of an allied military force," Uzumi said coldly. "As such, he would learn of what was said here regardless." He met the other's gaze. "That is my final word on this subject."

"As you wish." Phillips cleared his throat. "In light of the recent 'Break the World' incident, the Atlantic Federation and the Earth Alliance at large has been forced to reevaluate our relations with the PLANTs."

Uzumi tilted his head. "Reevaluate in what way?"

Phillips shrugged. "It is plain that ZAFT was behind the colony drop; we have confirmation of ZAFT mobile suits placing flare motors on the fragment used." He stepped forward and placed a photo on Uzumi's desk. "This was taken by one of our pilots."

Uzumi gazed at it for a moment. "Commander Strassmeier, do you recognize this machine?"

Alex moved to examine the photo, knowing what he would see. "That, sir, is a ZGMF-1017M2 GINN High Maneuver Type II," he said. He gave Phillips a sharp glance. "An obsolete unit, retired in July C.E. 72 once production of the ZGMF-1000 ZAKU hit its stride."

"So it wasn't a ZAFT unit," Uzumi said.

"Ex-ZAFT, actually," Alex told him. "The only GINNs currently in ZAFT service are trainers and a few ceremonial units. None are employed in combat roles."

Uzumi nodded. "Thank you," he said, and turned back to the ambassador. "Commander Strassmeier disagrees with your interpretation, Ambassador, and he is certainly in a position to know."

"He is also in a position to say what his superiors tell him to say," Phillips reposted. "This proves nothing."

Cagalli flushed. "Ambassador, Alex and I were both there. Alex personally shot down several of those GINNs, and then _your_ people got in the way."

"And what of the appearance of the Providence?" Phillips asked.

Alex fixed him with a cold gaze. "Ambassador, that machine attacked Cagalli, Athrun Zala, and myself. That alone proves that it wasn't a ZAFT machine. It certainly wasn't when in the hands of its original pilot; Rau Le Creuset was a traitor."

"Granted," Phillips said. "The fact remains, however, that ZAFT forces were observed at the colony fragment. That alone is sufficient to warrant action."

Uzumi's eyes narrowed. "What kind of action?"

"Well, obviously we don't want war," Phillips said, lying through his teeth. "Therefore, my government will demand that the 'Supreme Council' turn over those responsible."

Cagalli's eyes flashed. "That'll be tough, since they're all dead."

"If that demand is refused," Phillips continued, ignoring her, "then we will have no choice but to open hostilities."

Uzumi seemed to twitch. "In which case you will be fighting Orb as well."

"Not necessarily," Phillips said, pointedly ignoring Cagalli's astonished look. Now he was coming to the point. "The Atlantic Federation would like to extend an invitation to the Orb Union to join the Earth Alliance."

The room was utterly silent for a full minute. Uzumi, despite being a consummate politician, was visibly astonished, and Cagalli was openly gaping. Even Alex, though he kept his expressionless mask in place, was startled; he'd never expected anything quite like that offer.

"Out of the question," Uzumi said at last. "I accepted Chairman Clyne's offer during the war because I knew that Orb could not stay out of it forever, and because our ideals were and remain the same. There was also the information Admiral Halberton brought with him, as well as Andrea Strassmeier's experiences." He nodded at Alex. "And Orb and the PLANTs are bound by more than political ties."

It was the ambassador's turn to be surprised. He hadn't been expecting a response quite that blunt. "I see," he said, forcing himself back on balance. "Still, Chairman Clyne's ideals may not be what he claims they are. As for Lady Cagalli, she could always obtain a divorce."

The last line very nearly sparked an explosion. Uzumi himself was too shocked at the incredible breach of normal diplomatic conduct. Cagalli wasn't so restrained; she flushed bright red. "You_bastard_-" she began.

Alex laid a hand on her arm. "Calmly, Cagalli," he murmured, before turning his ice-blue gaze on Phillips. "Mister Ambassador, as a native of the PLANTs I have heard many outrageous suggestions from Alliance officials, but that was still enough to astonish me."

"Your marriage was political," Phillips said.

"The timing of the engagement was political, not the fact of our relationship," Alex countered. "It would have happened even if there had been no such consideration at all."

"In any case, it doesn't matter," Uzumi said, finding his voice again. "While I still live, the Orb Union will never join the Earth Alliance."

Phillips stiffened. "Is that your final word?"

"It is," Uzumi said coldly.

Phillips sighed. "Very well, then. I fear that this will mean hostilities between our nations." He bowed and departed.

* * *

Supreme Council Chamber, Aprilius One, PLANTs

* * *

Even as Uzumi met with the Atlantic Federation ambassador, Orb's ally at LaGrange point Five received a message of its own from the Earth Alliance. As could be expected, it was much less charitable, and much more threatening.

"So let me get this straight," Tad Elsman said. "The Earth Alliance is demanding that we turn over the perpetrators of 'Break the World', disarm ZAFT, and all of us resign?"

Siegel Clyne nodded. "That is an accurate summary."

"Bastards!" Ezalia Joule hammered a fist on the table. A flicker of pain was briefly visible in her eyes as she thought of her beloved sister, murdered by the Atlantic Federation. "This is nothing less than a demand that we surrender our hard-won independence!"

"I agree," Yuri Amalfi said. "Since the perpetrators are dead, we can hardly hand them over, and disarming ZAFT would leave us vulnerable to anyone who wanted to attack us."

Eileen Canaver nodded. "I understand Orb has been asked to join the Earth Alliance; the Atlantic Federation ambassador is supposed to be meeting with Lord Uzumi about now."

"It won't work," Elsman said flatly. "He knows that Blue Cosmos effectively controls the Earth Alliance, and of course Commander Strassmeier is married to his daughter. There's no doubt where his sympathies lie."

"Representative Elsman is correct," Siegel said. "Lord Uzumi has already sent word that Orb will carry out its obligations as an ally without fail."

The release of tension at that was almost palpable. Though the Earth Forces would still have a considerable advantage in numbers, having Orb and its advanced technology -not to mention Kira Yamato and the Freedom Gundam- on their side would go far towards offsetting that edge. It would still be hard, they all knew, but not as hard as if they'd been alone.

"If Uzumi will support us, then we have only to hold up our end," Gilbert Durandal said, speaking for the first time.

Ezalia nodded firmly. "Orb has two squadrons of mobile suits, one each of Astray Strikes and the new Murasames, stationed at Jachin. In addition to that, Kyoji Seiran brought a special mobile suit with him, and has made clear his willingness to fight in the PLANTs' defense."

Siegel stood. "I hope to achieve a negotiated settlement. However, in case that fails, which sadly is quite likely, ZAFT will be mobilized."

"Are you sure about that?" Durandal asked. "The Earth Forces may see it as a hostile act."

"And this ultimatum isn't?" Elsman countered. "Face it, Representative Durandal, the Earth Forces have been scheming against us from the very start. Even if Break the World hadn't happened, they would've found another excuse to declare war."

Siegel sighed. "I have to agree with Representative Elsman. This was inevitable; so long as Blue Cosmos remains in control of the Earth Alliance, we will not be truly safe." His expression hardened. "I want peace, as I am sure all of you do. However, peace bought at the expense of everything so many of our people gave their lives to attain is not true peace."

He looked at each Council member in turn. "Make no mistake, Ladies and Gentlemen. Though we desire peace, we will not yield to the Earth Forces."

The faces that looked back at him all showed agreement, though somewhat reluctantly in Durandal's case. All of them knew what surrender would mean. Loss of the PLANTs' autonomy. Very possibly the imprisonment of the Supreme Council. And eventually, if Blue Cosmos had its way, wholesale slaughter of the PLANTs' Coordinator population.

"We will not yield," Siegel repeated. "We will not surrender that which so many died to secure."

* * *

"No turning back now," Kyoji Seiran murmured. He and Meer Campbell had watched the meeting from an anteroom just off the Council chamber. "It'll be war for sure."

Meer looked up at him. "Are you sure, Kyoji?"

"I visited the PLANTs about a week before the Copernicus bombing," Kyoji told her. "This has the same atmosphere."

"I see." Meer turned back to the screen. "How long do you think it will be?"

Kyoji closed his eyes. "A couple of weeks at the most."

This time Meer made no reply. She just squeezed his shoulder.

* * *

Athha residence, dining room

* * *

As a noble of Orb, Uzumi of course employed a cook. Normally, it would be that cook who prepared meals, both for the Athha family and for any guests. In this case, however, the man doing the cooking was Uzumi's son-in-law, whose passion for seafood had become almost as much of a legend in ZAFT as Andrew Waltfeld's addiction to coffee.

The family cook didn't really mind. He understood that Alex was very particular about his seafood.

"Let me get this straight," Athrun said, looking at Cagalli. "Not only did the Atlantic Federation ambassador ask Orb to join the Earth Alliance, but he actually suggested that you and Alex get a _divorce_?"

She nodded, visibly disgusted. "He said that our marriage was political, meaning that we could dissolve it easily for the good of the country."

"Those bastards!" Flay Allster snarled. "Alex has been through hell -because of the Atlantic Federation- and now they have the gall to ask him to get a divorce!?"

Samorei Joule laughed harshly. "That bastard was wasting his time. There's a better chance of the Earth Forces taking a collective bath in a vat of acid than of those two getting a divorce."

Kira Yamato chuckled. "You got that right," he said, smiling affectionately at his sister. "They're both too stubborn for their own good."

"Stubbornness is a Joule family trait," Rondo Mina Sahaku noted. "Sam, Yzak, Alex, and Andrea all have it. And Cagalli, of course, is famous for being somewhat bullheaded."

Cagalli rolled her eyes, while Andrea Strassmeier stuck out her tongue at the dark-haired Orb noble.

"Speaking of marriages," Lacus said, turning to Flay, "congratulations on your engagement."

Kira and Flay both blushed. The two of them had announced their engagement without any fanfare. Indeed, Flay had displayed an aversion to publicity completely foreign to her earlier self. Kira had agreed, despite being an Orb noble by default as well as a famous ace. He definitely didn't want his engagement to be announced in a newspaper or some such.

"Thanks," Flay said after a moment.

"The only reason they took so long was because of Flay's age," Alex said, walking in beside a kitchen robot. The machine's function was to carry food trays, and since Alex had several people to cook for, it came in handy. "They'd already be married if it wasn't for that," he went on, setting several trays on the table.

Cagalli took a plateful of what appeared to be shark; Alex took some delight in the irony of cooking the same sort of creature that cost him his arm years before. She herself hadn't been much into seafood before, but her marriage to ZAFT's biggest enthusiast had changed that. Besides, he made it nice and spicy.

"I still don't get how you can stand stuff that hot," Andrea said.

Cagalli glanced at her sidelong. Ever since their stay in the PLANTs late in the previous war, Andrea had been ragging her over her taste for spices. "I like it. You got a problem with that?"

"I think you're crazy, but we knew that years ago," Andrea said with a shrug. "Alex is the same, but then he's so cold he probably doesn't even notice."

Alex swallowed. "More correctly, Sis, I prefer it strong enough to grab my attention. As you well know." He took another bite. "It helps that Cagalli and I have similar tastes."

His sister shook her head. "At least you're not into mollusks, like Sam here," she said, waving at their cousin."

Sam shot her a dirty look. "It's called _calamari_, Andrea," he told her in a mock-angry tone. "And Alex makes it just the way I like it."

"I know, I know," Andrea said, laughing.

Everyone else laughed at that. Andrea had a way of lifting people's spirits, often by doing something most people would consider completely insane. While teasing Samorei Joule wasn't exactly insane (especially since the two were very close), the results were still amusing.

"I still don't get it," Kira mused. "Why would that ambassador suggest that Alex and Cagalli get a divorce? Isn't that a bit undiplomatic?"

Sam, Athrun, and Alex rolled their eyes in almost perfect unison. "When the Earth Alliance feels like its threatened, they don't usually care about being polite," Athrun said. "Remember their ultimatum back in 71."

"He's right," Alex said. "Captain Gladys relayed a message from the Homeland about an hour ago."

Cagalli's eyes narrowed. "What kind of message?"

"They demanded that the PLANTs turn over those responsible for Break the World and disarm ZAFT, and that the entire Supreme Council resign," Alex said, visibly disgusted.

Lacus closed her eyes. "Then there will be war," she said softly. "My father will never give in -nor should he- but the Alliance will never accept a refusal."

Athrun squeezed her hand. "I don't like this any more than you do, Lacus. I'll I can say is that we'll do what we have to do."

She squeezed back. "I know. I wish it didn't have to be done, but I understand."

"There's also another faction out there," Kira said. "Athrun, you said the Providence appeared at Junius Seven?" He sounded disturbed, which surprised no one. After all, he'd fought Rau Le Creuset at Jachin.

"Yeah," Athrun said. "It kept Alex, Cagalli, and me at bay the whole time. It was like whoever that guy was, he was playing with us."

Kira swallowed nervously. "Could it have been an AI?"

Alex shook his head. "I've been over this twice, Kira. I sensed the pilot; that alone proves that there was a human inside that thing. Not to mention the fact that no AI could possibly have fought off three ace pilots like that." He shrugged. "Is it Rau Le Creuset? I don't know. All I know is that the pilot is not someone to take lightly."

Kira winced. He still had nightmares about Jachin. He didn't like the idea of facing the Providence again. Nevertheless, if it came to that, he would do it. He defeated it once, so he knew he could do it again if necessary.

Alex had turned back to his meal. "Right now, my main concern is that we be well fed when the fighting starts," he said, deadpan.

Kira grinned, and a chuckle ran around the table. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

Main hangar, Morgenroete testing ground, Onogoro Island

* * *

Keinn Legwitz hadn't been so puzzled since Andrea had stuffed a dead fish in his pillowcase at the Academy. He'd been ordered to report to the hangar, there to meet a ZAFT transport. The reason this puzzled him was the fact that he'd been specifically told that he was _not_ being transferred off the _Minerva_.

He didn't like being puzzled.

"Any idea what's going on, Keinn?" Luna asked. She, along with Shinn and Rey, had dropped in when they heard. Luna and Shinn were simply curious; no one knew why Rey had come along.

Keinn shook his head. "Not a clue. They just told me to meet that transport."

"It looks like a mobile suit transport," Rey said, frowning slightly. "I wonder…"

The huge potbellied aircraft came to a stop. A hatch on the side opened, and a man in ZAFT green stepped out.

"You're Keinn Legwitz?" he said, stopping in front of the four elites.

Keinn nodded. "Yeah. I had orders to report here, but they didn't say why."

The older man smiled. "I'm here to deliver something important." He activated a wrist comm. "Roll it out," he said.

The transport's main cargo hatch opened. A tractor-trailer type vehicle rolled down the ramp, towing what was unmistakably a mobile suit. Moreover, the mobile suit was a dull gray, the mark of a machine equipped with Phase-shift armor. It was, clearly, a Gundam.

"What is that?" Keinn whispered.

The ZAFT green's smile widened. "Mister Legwitz, that is your new machine. ZGMF-X23S Savior, the last of the Second Stage units. It has been assigned to you in recognition of your performance at Armory One and Junius Seven."

Keinn gazed at it for a long moment. He could see a resemblance to the Murasame -it was obviously a transformable machine that could fly in atmosphere- but it was more heavily armed, with two beam sabers and four canons of two different types. Everything about it just shrieked, _deadly_.

"I can't wait to try that thing out," he said softly. He heard Shinn, Luna, and Rey congratulating him, but it barely registered. He was too focused on his new machine, taking in every line.

Keinn was going to enjoy his next battle.

* * *

Author's note: The _Minerva_ reaches Orb, and its crew has a chance to rest. It may well be their last chance for quite a while. Meanwhile, Keinn joins the ranks of Gundam pilots, and Jean-Pierre La Flaga gets a new assignment.

Sorry for the lack of action. The next chapter should make up for it, as the nuclear attack on the PLANTs is imminent.


	8. Chapter 8: Nuclear Fire

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule, Keinn Legwitz, and Sagira Marusu are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

Morgenroete testing ground, Onogoro Island

* * *

Normally, testing of new mobile suits was done underground in order to avoid enemy spy satellites. In this case, however, they had little choice, as the new machine was a flight model. They'd had the same dilemma with the Murasame. 

The crimson form of ZGMF-X23S Savior streaked through the sky in mobile armor mode, nimbly dodging machine gun fire from a series of stationary targets set up along the way. Red and green beams shot out from the red Gundam, striking each target in turn.

Keinn Legwitz was having the time of his life. He'd had fun throwing his Murasame about, but the Savior's performance exceeded the mass-produced machine by a considerable stretch. It was well-armed, fast, and responded to the lightest touch at the controls. A pilot's dream.

_This is incredible!_ Keinn thought, barrel rolling to dodge some gunfire. He shifted to mobile suit mode, drew his rifle, and fired, taking three more targets in rapid succession. _This thing makes a Murasame look like it's standing still!_ A saber flashed out, bisecting another target.

* * *

"Looks like Keinn's having fun," Mu commented, watching the Savior dance. 

Samorei Joule whistled softly. "He's good. Better than about ninety percent of our Murasame pilots." He glanced at his cousin. "You're a good teacher, Alex."

"Don't give me too much credit," Alex said mildly, his eyes fixed on the Gundam. "Keinn is a born pilot; most of what I taught him involved applying those skills in combat. Aside from the shooting, this is all him."

"I'm impressed," Erica Simmons said. "Both with the pilot and the machine." She looked at a readout. "The Savior exceeds our Murasame in every category by a minimum of fifty percent."

Alex shrugged minutely. "It's a Gundam, and I might point out that Morgenroete was involved with its development. It simply combines the best of both tech bases."

Simmons smiled. "Relax, Commander, I wasn't complaining. I'm sure the Savior will be a major asset. Besides, we still have Captain Yamato and the Freedom."

The Savior finished off the last few targets and came to a dead stop in the exact center of the testing ground. Its red VPS faded a moment later, and it walked to the gate. Once there, the hatch opened, and Keinn stepped out, grinning ear to ear.

"That machine is incredible!" he exclaimed. "Mobile suit or fighter jet, it handles like a dream!"

Rey shook his head; he, Luna, and Shinn had come to watch the test. "Enthusiastic as always."

"You mean nuts," Luna said, laughing. "I sure wouldn't want to face you in that thing, Keinn. You'd rip me apart."

"No I wouldn't," Keinn disputed. "I'd never hurt a lady."

Alex snorted. "I'm fairly certain my sister would disagree with you, Keinn, given what happened at the Academy."

Keinn shot him a wounded look. "Aw, c'mon, Commander, I was just having fun. I never meant any harm."

"Lucky for you," Alex said. "Getting on Andrea's bad side is not conducive to long-term survival."

Keinn had no comeback to that. He merely walked off to the locker room, muttering something about inbreeding. His classmates followed, looking highly amused.

Mu threw back his head and laughed. "That kid's good, but he's also crazy." He calmed…slightly. "Luna had a point, though. With his skill, Keinn could take almost anyone in that thing."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Including yourself, Mu?"

"He just might," Mu said, surprising everyone else. "I've got the edge in experience, and probably in skill, but the Savior's a lot more maneuverable than the Strike. I'd probably win in a straight up fight, but it wouldn't be easy."

"He's going to need every bit of that skill," Ledonir Kisaka said, walking up to them.

Alex tilted his head. "What brings you here, Colonel?"

"This," Kisaka said, handing him a printout. "A message from Committee Chairwoman Joule."

Alex took it and began to read. His expression gradually tightened, his eyes taking on the hue of ice crystals. Mu and Sam tensed up; they both were quite familiar with the telltale signs of anger. For that matter, Erica Simmons could see it, which meant the message was very ominous indeed.

"Alex?" Sam asked; he hadn't seen his cousin so infuriated since just after the Mandelbrot Incident.

"It's begun," Alex said quietly. "The Earth Alliance Fourth and Fifth Fleets have left Arzachel Base, on a course that will take them to LaGrange point Five." He met Sam's gaze. "There's no turning back now."

Sam nodded. "I knew that when I chose to stay in Orb instead of returning to the PLANTs, Alex. You knew it when you decided to oppose Patrick Zala, and when you joined ZAFT. We've both made our choices, Cousin."

"I know, Sam," Alex said. "It's just…I hate being down here, unable to do anything, while my homeland is attacked."

Sam gripped his shoulder. "I understand. Don't worry too much, though; Yzak's up there, along with Dearka, Nicol, and a few of your old teammates, not to mention Kyoji Seiran. They'll be fine."

Alex managed a smile. "You're right. Besides, you can bet Orb will be a target. We'll get plenty of action."

"Right," Sam said. "Now cheer up, or I'll tell Cagalli that you're wallowing in self-pity."

Alex winced. He knew Sam would carry out the threat, too. "All right, all right." He had no desire to be punched in the face again. Cagalli hit _hard_.

Sam grinned. "I knew you'd see it that way."

* * *

Victoria Base

* * *

It hadn't taken Jean-Pierre as long as he'd expected to adjust to the heat. Probably because he was so busy, he decided; building a new unit from scratch was such an all-consuming task that the heat was an afterthought. 

"I think we have a unit roster, Commander," Thomas Markinson said.

Jean-Pierre nodded. "Agreed. It took much less time than I expected, but I'm not complaining." He brought up the list on his computer display.

Lieutenant J.G. Scott Logan. A veteran of the first war, he'd piloted a Duel Dagger at Orb and Victoria. He was not, however, at Jachin; severe injuries sustained at Victoria had kept him on the sick list until just after the Armory One attack. Jean-Pierre had selected him as his own wingman.

Ensign Nathaniel Sloan. Graduated from the Academy at the top of his class. Cheery and affable, but an implacable adversary. He was slated to be Markinson's wingmate.

Lieutenant Lyle Cochrane. Something of a cold fish, he reminded Jean-Pierre somewhat of his former teammate Morton Callahan. Still, he was highly recommended by his last CO.

Ensign Derek Mackenzie. Born and bred in Alaska, and an avid hunter. One of the best shots in the Navy.

Lieutenant J.G. Richard Stanton. He could fly with the best, and had an unreal aptitude for beam saber combat.

Ensign Eric Burton. Not particularly outstanding in any area, his strength was a simple refusal to give up.

Lieutenant Martin Riley. He occasionally seemed to have a split personality, a party animal off base, yet unstinting in his duties.

Lieutenant J.G. Ryan Jackson. A survivor of the Battle of Boaz, his Strike Dagger had been almost bisected by Samorei Joule's Gladiator Gundam. Though no Blue Cosmos supporter -Jean-Pierre would never have permitted such an individual in his unit- he saw Orb and its people as traitors to their world.

Lieutenant Carl Clark. The son of a prominent New York banker, he was the last person most would have picked for a service career. His explanation was that banking bored him stiff.

Ensign Matthew Hutchinson. He and Derek Mackenzie had been friends since childhood. He, too, was an avid hunter.

"They look to be a good team, Tom," Jean-Pierre said. "Unfortunately, even if we rush things we won't be ready for the first wave."

Markinson leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"Fourth and Fifth Fleet left Arzachel for the PLANTs," J.-P. explained. "They've been supplied with the new GAT-04 Windam…and nukes."

"Nukes!?" Markinson's jaw dropped. He remembered Boaz and Jachin. "That'll end the war right there."

J.-P. shook his head. "It won't work, don't think it will. ZAFT has had too much experience with nuclear weapons. They'll be ready." He sighed. "In any case, we won't even be ready for the attack on Orb. Training of this kind takes time."

Markinson nodded agreement. "We'll be ready when the time comes. And a protracted conflict works in our favor, since we have more resources than Orb and the PLANTs combined."

"True," the younger man agreed. "Nevertheless, we must not underestimate our enemies. Orb's Kira Yamato is acknowledged even in the Atlantic Federation as the greatest pilot of the last war; I for one would not care to face him directly."

"Agreed," Markinson said. "I never fought him -if I had I probably wouldn't have survived- but I've spoken with people who have fought him."

"So have I," J.-P. said. "Lieutenant Logan had the misfortune of getting caught in Yamato's multibeam attack at the Battle of Orb."

Markinson winced. He remembered that attack all too well. Anything struck was out of the fight.

"And he's not even the only problem," La Flaga said. "ZAFT and Orb have three nuclear G-weapons each, all of them piloted by highly experienced aces. We were able to swarm the Spider at Junius Seven, but I am not at all confident in my ability to take him solo, especially not with the Rapier."

The XO grunted. "I saw him in action at Jachin. Trust me, Commander, that mobile suit of his is superior to _anything_ we have, including Commander Hunter's Shenlong. And he's not just a pilot; this is a man who was audacious enough to contemplate opposing ZAFT with one ship and five mobile suits."

J.-P. stood, leading Markinson down a hallway. "Then there's the Spider's wife -an ace in her own right, with another nuclear machine- along with Athrun Zala, that Oceanian, and Samorei Joule. For that matter, Joule's younger brother is extremely dangerous even without a nuclear unit. Trust me, I fought him at Junius Seven."

"Oh, I believe you," Markinson said sourly. "I saw the Duel blow up the _Dominion_. One of our most powerful warships, destroyed by a single mobile suit." He shook his head in disgust. "And then his lunatic of a brother took out the _Cherubim_."

"That's why we're here," Jean-Pierre told him. "To make sure that sort of thing doesn't happen again." He opened a side door, and they walked into the hangar. Twelve mobile suits stood in a line, Jean-Pierre's Rapier Gundam and eleven GAT-01DX Duel Stilettos painted deep blue and gray. "We are the new anti-mobile suit unit, the Blue Knights."

* * *

_Voltaire_, Yzak's office

* * *

"Man, if there's anything I really hate about this job, it's the paperwork," Yzak muttered. He rubbed his temples wearily. "What's the point?" 

Dearka chuckled. "Look on the bright side, Yzak. The Earth Forces have it worse." He raised an eyebrow. "I hear Kyoji Seiran's coming aboard."

"Yeah, with Lacus's body double, what's-her-name, Campbell." Yzak shrugged. "Normally I'd say she's crazy, but since Lacus is usually on the front lines, so she can't be a very good body double if she doesn't do the same."

"Yeah," Dearka agreed. "I can't wait to see Kyoji's new machine in action."

Yzak shared the sentiment. They'd met Kyoji at Samorei's wedding the previous year, and they'd both liked him. He was certainly preferable to his late, unlamented uncle and cousin.

The intercom buzzed, prompting Yzak to press a switch on his desk. "What is it?"

"Commodore Seiran is onboard, sir, along with Miss Clyne." Despite her recent marriage to Athrun Zala, most people still referred to Lacus by her maiden name. "There's also a messenger from Representative Durandal, asking to speak to you in person."

Yzak shrugged. "Fine, send her in."

A moment later, a young woman in elite red walked in. Her uniform was unique in ZAFT, the upper half resembling a slightly low cut dress. She wore long white gloves with the winged FAITH insignia on the left wrist. Her long, silver hair covered her right eye; her left was bluish green.

"Commander Marusu," Yzak said, surprised. "Never thought I'd see a FAITH operative acting as a messenger."

Sagira Marusu shrugged. "I was in the area on other business, so I was convenient for Representative Durandal." To no one's surprise, she didn't elaborate on what that other business was.

Yzak nodded slowly. FAITH operatives tended to be a little on the strange side; Yzak, who knew three of them personally, could attest to that. They were also understandably secret, acting at times as special troubleshooters.

"So what's the message?" he asked.

"As you probably know, the Earth Alliance Fourth and Fifth Fleets are on their way here," Sagira told him. "What you do not know is that there are unconfirmed reports that they are equipped with nuclear weapons."

Yzak swore viciously. "Don't those bastards _ever_ get tired of trying to nuke us!?"

"Doesn't look like it, does it?" Dearka agreed, smothering a curse. "They just don't know when to give up."

Sagira held up a hand. "Rest assured, we have taken the problem into account. I cannot go into detail at this time, but I can say the Earth Forces are in for an unpleasant surprise." She smiled thinly. "The Joule team will be assigned to the frontline defense."

"Fine by me," Yzak said with a shrug. "As long as I get a piece of those bastards."

"That much I can promise you," Sagira told him. "Any questions?"

Yzak shook his head. "We'll do our part."

Sagira stood. "In that case, I must be going. Good luck." She moved to the hatch, then paused, looking over her shoulder. "I will be out there as well, in a ZGMF-3000Q Providence ZAKU."

"Man," Dearka said when she'd gone. "She's something else."

"Something dangerous," Yzak said darkly. "Alex told me that she's in FAITH because Representative Durandal asked Chairman Clyne to bring her in."

Dearka tilted his head. "You sure about that? I mean, no offense, but that cousin of yours is the most paranoid guy in the Earth Sphere. You sure he's not jumping at shadows?"

His friend shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not, though. 'I always thought Mikhail Coast was the creepiest individual I ever served with. Then I met Sagira Marusu.' That's what Alex said when she was recruited."

Dearka chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"You should know by now, seeing as you've been dating his sister for two years," Yzak said with a sly smile.

The blonde pilot spluttered. "Yzak…that's…" He started to say "none of your business," but since Yzak was Andrea's cousin, that was unlikely to work. "What was that machine Commander Marusu was talking about?"

"Oh, that." Yzak knew why Dearka was changing the subject, but went along anyway. "It was an attempt to mass-produce a DRAGOON-equipped mobile suit design. Didn't work out, partly because it needed an NJC, and the Junius Treaty prohibited that. Alex flew one of the prototypes."

Dearka nodded. Since Alex Strassmeier was one of the few who possessed a heightened sense of spatial awareness, he was a logical choice.

"Now that the Earth Forces are attacking us, the Junius Treaty doesn't matter anymore," Yzak went on. "So we might as well get some use out of the Providence ZAKU."

"Yeah, you've got a point there." Dearka frowned slightly. "How is that she can use one of those things? I don't think Alex or Mu can sense her."

Yzak shrugged. "She probably uses the same sort of AI as the Akatsuki."

It would be some time before he learned the truth.

* * *

Earth Forces _Agamemnon_-class battleship _Odysseus_, bridge

* * *

Admiral Lawrence Stark hated the PLANTs. He saw the orbital settlements as an unjustifiable drain on Earth's resources, and the inhabitants as parasites. Of course, as a member in good standing of Blue Cosmos he detested Coordinators on general principles. 

Which, of course, was why he was in command of the Fleet.

"Five hours to target," Captain Archibald Taylor, _Odysseus_'s CO, said. "Five hours till we get another crack at Jachin." He looked at the Admiral. "I don't know about you, sir, but I'm looking forward to it."

Stark smiled. "So am I, Archie. It's about time we taught those space monsters a lesson." He recalled with brutal clarity the fiery ends of _Dominion_ and _Cherubim_ at Jachin, and he'd been itching to return the favor. Pity neither the _Archangel_ nor the _Valkyrie _were likely to be anywhere near when the balloon went up.

"Admiral, do you think we'll be able to get the nukes off?" Taylor asked quietly. "It didn't work out last time."

"Don't worry, Captain," Stark said. "The problem with the last nuclear attack was the presence of those two mobile suits, Justice and Freedom, because they have extensive multitarget capabilities. Since those machines are on Earth at the moment, they won't be a factor."

Taylor nodded. "I see your point, sir. Still, there's always the chance they'll produce some new secret weapon."

"Point," Stark conceded, recalling the introduction of military mobile suits during the blockade of C.E. 69. They had been a most unpleasant surprise. "We'll just have to take things as they come, I suppose." He grimaced. "Warn all pilots to be extra cautious, especially the nuclear-armed Windams."

"Yes, sir."

Stark sat back in his chair, frowning. He didn't like the idea of ZAFT pulling out yet another new weapon. Mobile suits had been bad enough in the first half of the previous conflict; he didn't like the idea of fighting something ZAFT had developed in concert with their treacherous Orb allies.

He shook himself. As he'd told Taylor, they would take things as they came. One way or another, they would crush the PLANTs, and then punish Orb for supporting the space monsters. With them brought to heel, the Alliance could then concentrate on rebuilding Earth.

* * *

_Voltaire_, hangar/open space, LaGrange point Five

* * *

Kyoji forced himself not to fidget as he waited for the order to launch. It was hard; this was to be his first real battle. It was also the first for his mobile suit; while the Joule team's machines, X102 Duel, X103 Buster, and a number of ZAKUs, were all proven designs, Kyoji's Tallgeese was still an unknown. 

He did know some of its basic capabilities. Tallgeese had excellent armor, though it lacked PSA. Its beam cannon was powerful, rivaling even the Agni hyper-impulse cannon mounted by the Launcher Striker pack. It was also fast, faster than virtually anything else. In fact, it was so fast that even a Coordinator like Kyoji had difficulty controlling it.

How it would perform in combat was a question yet to be answered.

"Earth Forces fleet confirmed," the voice of a controller at Jachin announced. "All units, prepare to engage."

"Joule team, prepare to launch!" Yzak said. His Duel Gundam moved to the catapult. "Yzak Joule, Duel launching!"

Next was the Buster. "Dearka Elsman, Buster taking off!"

Kyoji was third in line. _Here goes nothing. Either we stop them, or the PLANTs are destroyed. Either Tallgeese performs, or it kills me._ "Kyoji Seiran, Tallgeese heading out." He pressed his head firmly against the seat back.

Outside was a veritable maelstrom. The Earth Forces' various Dagger types, while individually inferior to the Orb Murasames and Astray Impulses and ZAFT ZAKUs and ZAKU Phantoms, had a significant advantage of numbers. Moreover, the Alliance had finally gotten the hang of mobile suit warfare, at least partially overcoming their machines' inferiority through a combination of teamwork and iron discipline.

_But they've never faced me before,_ Kyoji thought with a tight grin. Three Dagger Ls tried to close with him, sabers ready. In response, Kyoji activated his "super verniers" and sped past, then turned, raised his beam cannon, and fired. The Daggers were so close together that one shot destroyed all three.

"So far, so good." The Tallgeese was at least proving itself superior to the latest Dagger model. However, the true test would come when he faced a Gundam in single combat.

"What is that thing!?" a 105 pilot said incredulously.

Kyoji smirked. "Allow me to present MSX-1 Tallgeese, the instrument of your demise." His saber came out, slicing the Dagger into three neat pieces before the pilot could react. Ignoring the fragments, he hit his verniers and sped off.

* * *

Yzak whistled in admiration and amazement. For all that it was more than a decade old, Tallgeese was proving to be an extraordinarily powerful machine. None of the Earth Forces units could even approach its mobility, and Kyoji was using that advantage to lethal effect. 

"Kyoji's a different kind of Seiran," Sam had told him some months before. "He's so different that when we first met I made him take a blood test to prove he was related to Unato and Yuna."

_Sam was right,_ Yzak thought, then returned to the task at hand. A Duel Dagger, apparently trying to sneak up on him, fell to his saber. "Cheap copy," he muttered.

"Man, these guys just don't know when to give up," Dearka complained, firing his rifle on a Dagger L that tried to close with him.

"If they did, they wouldn't have attacked us in the first place," Yzak said.

For the moment, the battle appeared to be at a stalemate. While the ZAFT/Orb fleet had been unable to drive the Earth Forces away, the Earth Forces in turn had not been able to reach attack range of the PLANTs or Jachin Due.

Yzak Joule hated stalemates.

"Whoa!" Dearka said suddenly. "Yzak, look at Commander Marusu!"

Yzak's jaw dropped. Though it lacked the speed of Tallgeese, Sagira's Providence ZAKU was cutting a swathe through the Alliance forces. Her DRAGOONs swept out, catching an unfortunate Dagger L and reducing it to fine power in less than ten seconds.

_What in blazes _is_ she!?_ Yzak was incredulous. He'd never seen anyone who lacked heightened spatial awareness do that much damage with remote weapons. While the Akatsuki's AI allowed Cagalli to use her mobile turrets effectively, it had nowhere near the effect of the Providence's and Anubis's DRAGOON systems.

Sagira wasn't finished. Her beam rifle flashed with unerring precision, striking two Duel Daggers and a Buster Dagger. The Providence ZAKU's lack of melee weapons didn't deter her from engaging in close combat; when a vengeful Sword-equipped 105 Dagger got in close, she simply punched it away.

Yzak took a Dagger L's beam shot on his shield, then returned fire, destroying it. "Just go down!"

"Something's not right here, Yzak," Dearka said, putting a sniper blast through a _Drake_-class ship's main reactor. "I don't know what it is, but it's there."

"…You're right," Yzak said, frowning. "What are they up to?" His frown deepened. Something about the Alliance formation puzzled him.

Tallgeese streaked past, immolating a Dagger L. "They're screening something," Kyoji said. "Either that, or it's a diversion."

"Probably a diversion," Yzak said. He switched frequencies. "Commander Marusu, did you get that?"

"Acknowledged," Sagira said. "Relayed to Jachin; they're sending a team to investigate. We're to keep the Earth Forces busy in the meantime."

Yzak nodded. "Roger that." He fired his grenade launcher, exploding what looked like a modified Long Dagger. _Guess there's still a few Combat Coordinators running loose._ "We'll keep these bastards busy, all right!"

A trio of Astray Impulses shot past, and Yzak found himself grinning as he realized who they were. Three Astray Impulses, one Force, one Blast, and one Sword, meant Orb aces Asagi Caldwell, Juri Wu Nien, and Mayura Labatt. A deadly team, as the Earth Forces had learned many times over the course of the first war.

"For Orb!" the three cried in unison.

* * *

_Odysseus_, bridge

* * *

"We have the defenders pinned down, Admiral," Captain Taylor said. "We haven't been able to get through, but they haven't been able to get through our defenses either." 

Stark nodded. "As expected. No one ever said this would be easy."

"What about that ZAKU variant, sir?" the captain asked. "It's doing considerable damage to our forces."

The admiral grimaced. "I heard it's based on Le Creuset's G-weapon, the Providence," he said. "It was impractical, though, and since it requires a nuclear engine it was shelved when the Junius Treaty was signed. Now that the Treaty is a dead letter, they're probably trying to get some use out of it."

"So it seems," Taylor said with a wince. "I think the only way to destroy that thing is to swarm it."

"Agreed," Stark said. "I want at least three squadrons sent after that thing."

"Yes, sir."

Stark glanced at his watch. Five minutes. Five minutes, and the nuclear-equipped Windams would reach their targets. Soon after that, the PLANTs' hegemony over the bulk of space would hopefully have ended for good. Then the Earth Alliance could begin the process of purifying Earth's surface.

* * *

Open space

* * *

Tallgeese's beam saber ripped through yet another Dagger, leaving the two sections to explode. "There's no end to this!" 

"Attention, all units," Sagira Marusu said. "Reconnaissance units have detected another formation of mobile suits. They are of a new, unknown design…and they have been confirmed to be carrying nuclear missiles. All units, intercept!"

Kyoji swore viciously. "Nukes! Do you really intend to repeat the Bloody Valentine on this scale!?" Tallgeese's super verniers flared, pushing it toward the new threat. Yzak and Dearka followed.

Yzak was the first to spot the new enemy. His eyes narrowed at the sight. "Those machines…"

"Don't they look like one of our experimental models?" Dearka added suspiciously. "The Testament, wasn't it?"

Kyoji blinked. "Testament?" he repeated, charging his beam cannon.

"ZGMF-X12A Testament," Yzak explained. "One of our nuclear designs. It was stolen back in 71, and we never found it."

"Looks like we just found out who stole it," Dearka said darkly.

"Enough talk; let's take them!" Yzak snarled.

The three Coordinators charged the Earth Forces units, firing as they came. Post-battle analysis later suggested that the first wave literally never knew what hit them. Duel and Buster were easy enough to see coming, but the Tallgeese's only competition for fastest mobile suit in existence were Kira Yamato's Freedom and Keinn Legwitz's Savior.

Kyoji began his blitzkrieg attack by firing his cannon into the lead unit. Not pausing to watch the other mobile suit detonate, he drew his saber and bisected three more before they had a chance to react. By the time the others got their bearings, he was already out of range.

"How did he _do_ that!?" one pilot demanded incredulously.

"Forget him!" the senior survivor barked. "Launch your birds, then get out of here!"

Jarred into motion, the survivors of the first wave launcher their missiles. Said missiles never even came close to their targets; a missile salvo from the Duel and the Buster reduced them to debris before they'd traveled five hundred meters. The mobile suits that had launched the missiles quickly followed their payloads into oblivion.

Yzak bared his teeth, seeing another formation. "Oh, no you don't," he said coldly. His rifle came up…

"All units, pull back, repeat, pull back," the Jachin controller said suddenly. "Make way for the _Marie Curie._"

"Pull back!?" Yzak snarled in disbelief. "What are they thinking!?"

Sagira's ZAKU pulled up next to him. "Don't worry, commander," she said with a smile. "It's all part of the plan."

Still grumbling, Yzak fell back, accompanied by Dearka and Kyoji. The _Marie Curie_, a _Nazca_-class replacement for Mikhail Coast's ill-fated frigate, took a forward position. It had been visibly modified, with a very peculiar-looking device attached.

"Neutron Stampeder charged and ready," a voice said over the open channel. "Thirty seconds to activation."

Yzak frowned. "Neutron Stampeder?" he repeated. "What's going on here?"

"Just watch, Commander," Sagira told him.

"Fifteen seconds to Neutron Stampeder activation," the voice said. "Ten…five…four…three…two…one…"

Yzak, Dearka, and Kyoji gaped in astonishment as every remaining nuclear missile, launched or not, detonated prematurely all at once. The conflagration took no fewer than five Alliance warships with it, and severely damaged a dozen more. Survivors on both sides later described the scene as nothing short of apocalyptic.

"All right, guys," Yzak said, once he'd recovered his equilibrium. "Let's mop up."

* * *

_Odysseus_, bridge

* * *

"What just happened!?" Admiral Stark demanded. 

Taylor was more agitated than he'd ever been. "Unknown, Admiral. All we know for certain is that every nuclear missile prematurely detonated at once." He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Whatever caused that effect, I think it came from that modified _Nazca_."

Stark swallowed, knowing that the battle was lost. The space monsters had struck back, and prevailed. It was a dark day for the Alliance. "Never mind that. All ships, full retreat." He closed his eyes. "We've lost."

Unfortunately, ZAFT and their Orb allies were unwilling to just let the Fleet escape. ZAKUs, Astrays, Murasames, the stolen Duel and Buster, the mysterious ZAKU variant, and that accursed white speed demon harried the retreating Earth Forces units like a swarm of angry hornets. Mobile suits and warships alike exploded under heavy fire.

"They're not letting us go, Admiral," Taylor said quietly.

"I can see that," Stark said, more tired than he had ever been. "Can we make it?"

Taylor sighed. "I honestly don't know, sir."

"Admiral! Enemy mobile suit!"

The last thing Lawrence Stark ever saw was the glow of Kyoji Seiran's beam cannon.

* * *

Open space

* * *

"Rot for eternity, you vermin," Kyoji spat, watching the _Agamemnon_-class vessel explode. 

"Well done, everyone," Sagira said. "The Earth Forces have been driven away from the Homeland, and as an added bonus it appears Lord Seiran's mobile suit has passed the test of battle."

Kyoji breathed deeply, suddenly exhausted. "Thanks, I think. I'll let you know for sure once I've had a good night's sleep."

Yzak laughed. "I know what you mean, Kyoji. Let's get back to the_Voltaire_."

"Roger that." Kyoji lingered for a few moments, though. He felt no remorse for the Alliance soldiers he had killed. In attempting to destroy the PLANTs they had brought death on themselves. At the same time, eh felt a certain regret at being forced down such a path.

He shook himself. "If I didn't feel this, I wouldn't be human," he said, and followed Yzak.

* * *

Athha residence

* * *

A flash of lightning illuminated the grounds of the Athha family home. The rumble of thunder that followed fit Alex's mood perfectly. Despite the news of ZAFT and Orb's victory over the Alliance fleet at the PLANTs, he felt deeply uneasy. 

"…So the Tallgeese proved itself in battle," Sam said with profound satisfaction. "I knew Kyoji could handle it."

"It is fortunate that Kyoji is a Coordinator," Mina said quietly. "I doubt that a Natural could handle the acceleration."

Uzumi nodded. "In any case, it is very fortunate that the Alliance fleet was held back, though the method comes as something of a surprise."

Athrun winced slightly. "Chairman Clyne sends his apologies. The Neutron Stampeder was kept on a strictly need-to-know basis, and even I didn't have a need to know."

"I quite understand," Uzumi told him. "However, the Alliance will be wary now. I do not believe we can expect such a tactic to work twice."

Alex agreed. With the Earth Forces stymied in space, at least temporarily, they would concentrate on Earth itself. That meant Gibraltar, Carpentaria…and Orb. The main blow, he knew, would fall on Orb, the centerpiece of ZAFT's terrestrial fighting strength.

"You can bet we'll be next," Cagalli said. "With both our own forces and a huge chunk of ZAFT based here, we're a prime target."

"Agreed," Talia put in. "With the _Archangel_, _Minerva_, _Valkyrie_, and _Thunderbird_ all based here, the Earth Forces could put a considerable dent in our strength."

"Not to mention the hit to our morale," Andrew Waltfeld said, sipping from his ever-present coffee cup.

_He's got that right,_ Alex thought. Their four most powerful warships, plus a huge number of mobile suits and support vehicles, and all but one of their nuclear Gundams. The loss of those forces would have catastrophic consequences.

"Well, we know they're coming sooner or later, so we should be ready for them," Murrue said.

Natarle Badgiruel nodded agreement. "We've built a defense in depth. If and when they attack here, they won't have it easy."

"We won't, either," Cagalli pointed out, throwing a concerned glance at her husband. Alex hadn't said anything at all, spending the entire meeting gazing into the storm outside.

Kira noticed, too. "Alex?"

For a moment, Alex didn't seem to hear. "The past is prologue," he said finally. He turned to face them. "Like the Bloody Valentine before it, this will be but the prelude to a long and bloody struggle."

Kira swallowed. "Like the first war?"

"The Armory One attack was far too much like the Heliopolis raid for my taste," Alex said. "History is repeating itself."

"Not if we can help it," Cagalli said, standing and taking his hand. "We'll stop this somehow."

Alex managed a smile, but he couldn't really agree. The Earth Forces were far better prepared this time; at the very least, their possession of mobile suits meant that the PLANTs no longer had an advantage in mobile weapons. ZAFT and Orb had better mobile suits, but the Earth Forces had more of them.

The Second War had begun.

* * *

Author's note: The Earth Forces attack on the PLANTs has been repulsed. Orb is next in line. 

Just one real point to make: The Sagira in this story is NOT precisely the same as the woman shown in NukeDawg's Jade Series. Indeed, she cannot be, as I do not know the original's full story or anything close to it. Please bear that in mind.


	9. Chapter 9: Orb's Resolve

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule, Keinn Legwitz, and Sagira Marusu are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

"Shinn had a great deal of potential, that much was obvious from the moment he arrived at the Academy. Nevertheless, even I had no idea just how good he could be; his performance at the Second Battle of Orb shocked me more than any other wartime event save my cousin Samorei's reappearance at the Battle of Mendel three years before." Alex Strassmeier, from a series of postwar interviews conducted by Jess Rabble.

* * *

President Copeland's office, Atlantic Federation

* * *

"Just what in blazes was _that_ all about, Lord Djibril?" Hiram Dalton snarled. The normally cool and collected DCI was on the verge of apoplexy. "They refuse our demands, so instead of attempting to retake control of the PLANTs, you try to _wipe them out_?"

Djibril was unruffled. "The Coordinators are weeds in Earth's garden, Director. Think of the nuclear missiles as weed killer."

Dalton glared at him. "And the Naturals who also reside in the PLANTs? What about them?"

"They forfeited any consideration when they joined forces with those space monsters," the terrorist leader countered. "They might as well be Coordinators."

Dalton barely restrained himself from attacking Djibril. "What you don't appear to understand, Lord Djibril, is that we can't just do whatever we want." The spymaster had calmed, but he was still visibly angered. "We still haven't recovered from the hit we took in public opinion after the Bloody Valentine, and our strong-arm negotiating late in the last war didn't help matters any. This will only make things worse."

"Enough," Copeland said before Djibril could reply. "What is done is done. Our first priority is to determine exactly what happened at Jachin, and decide where to go from there. Marshall Simmons?"

The Supreme Allied Commander cleared his throat. "We're still not certain of all the details. It is certain that they've found some way to induce a premature detonation in nuclear weapons, but we have no idea how." He brought up an image of a modified _Nazca_-class destroyer. "Whatever that thing is, it was clearly the source of our trouble."

"Regardless, we clearly cannot risk another nuclear attack," Dalton said, throwing a glance at Djibril. "It's far too great a risk."

"Agreed," Copeland said. He steepled his fingers. "It would appear that we are at something of a stalemate in space, at least for the moment."

Simmons nodded. "In light of that, I believe that our first priority should be to secure control of Earth, then move into space once again."

"And that means dealing with Oceania and Orb," Copeland said, wincing. "It won't be easy, but we clearly have no choice. As long as they're free, they will be an all too reliable ally for the PLANTs."

"I don't like it, Mister President, but you're right," Simmons said. "Orb especially must fall; they're even more important than Carpentaria these days, largely because of Morgenroete."

Dalton kept his peace, but inwardly he was seething. If the attack on the PLANTs was anything to go by, his colleagues were quite prepared to render Orb uninhabitable. Djibril in particular seemed to be thirsting for revenge; reports had indicated the presence of an Orb noble at Jachin.

"Assemble however large a force you need, Marshall," Copeland said. "Orb must be taken out of the war as soon as possible, no matter what it takes."

Simmons grimaced. "Unfortunately, we won't be able to use the mobile suits that we…acquired from ZAFT; the eggheads haven't finished examining them. The Blue Knights aren't ready, either." He shook himself. "We'll make do, Mister President."

_You will, will you?_ Dalton thought venomously.

* * *

Athha residence

* * *

Alex tossed his white jacket on a chair back and collapsed unceremoniously onto the bed. Normally as meticulous in his personal habits as he was in battle, the act conveyed how truly exhausted he was. It was only when he was _extremely_ tired that he didn't put his uniform away properly.

"You must really be tired," Cagalli said, coming in after him. "You don't usually throw your jacket around like that."

He gave her a pained look. "Let's see, my homeland was just subjected to a nuclear attack, my cousin was involved in the defense and could easily have died in the process, and I've been working practically around the clock to help prepare for the attack that will inevitably fall here. Of course I'm exhausted."

She flopped down next to him. "I know what you mean. Everyone's so tense, it's like a giant coiled spring."

"That sounds about right," Alex agreed, tucking an arm around her. "That's another reason why we have to win the next battle. Nothing like a major victory to boost morale."

Cagalli turned her head to look at him. "Wasn't what just happened in space a major victory?"

"Yes and no," he said. "What happened at the PLANTs was a case of one special weapon beating another, our Neutron Stampeder versus their nukes. The Earth Forces aren't stupid; they won't dare pull a stunt like that again. The next battle will be more conventional."

"I guess so," Cagalli said.

Alex tightened his grip. "Don't worry so much, Cagalli. I know it won't be easy, but we can do it."

"I know. It's just…" Cagalli sighed. "Last time Orb was attacked, we had to abandon the entire country and flee to space. I don't want that to happen again."

He brushed her hair out of her eyes. "It'll be all right. Our position is much stronger than it was then. We'll make it."

She snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, you're right."

Whatever Alex would have said in response was interrupted by a buzzing sound. Sighing in resignation, he reached for the comm unit on the nightstand. "Strassmeier."

The small screen lit up. "I apologize for disturbing you at this late hour, Alex," Uzumi said. "Is Cagalli with you?"

"Yeah," the princess said, sitting up. "What's going on?"

Uzumi had the look of someone who'd just seen a pig fly and was still coping with the unexpected reality. "Approximately one hour ago, we received a message from a source inside the Earth Alliance. Judging by the nature of the information provided, this individual is _very_ highly placed."

Alex and Cagalli exchanged glances. "Information?" Alex repeated carefully. "What kind?"

"The composition of the Alliance fleet that will be sent to attack us," Uzumi said flatly.

Alex sat bolt upright, his fatigue abruptly forgotten. "Are you_ serious_?"

"I don't blame you for reacting like that," Uzumi said. "I was more than a little surprised myself. However, according to our intelligence experts this message does appear genuine."

The Spider of Artemis shook his head, trying to clear it. Assuming the report was accurate, the strategic situation had changed in the blink of an eye. With foreknowledge of the enemy fleet composition, Orb could inflict a crushing blow.

It wouldn't end the war, they all knew. While the defeat of an Alliance fleet would buy Orb some time, even that fleet's complete annihilation wouldn't be enough to truly hamper the enemy's war effort except in the very short term.

"Have you told anyone else?" Cagalli asked.

"Captain Ramius, Captain Gladys, Captain Badgiruel, Commander Waltfeld, and Commander Zala," her father told her.

"They'll see to it that the rest of our forces are briefed, I'm sure," Alex said. "Assuming it's accurate, this changes everything. It won't end the war, but it will help ensure that we win the next battle."

Uzumi nodded. "My thoughts exactly." His image vanished.

Alex fell back on the bed. "Assuming nothing else jumps out at me, I'm going to get some sleep." Before Cagalli could reply, he was stretched out, asleep.

She smiled. "Me, too," she said softly, curling up next to him.

* * *

_Minerva,_ hangar

* * *

_That should do it_, Shinn thought, closing down his terminal. He'd spent the last hour adjusting the Impulse's OS to account for planetary battlefield conditions. It was virtually certain that he would be using the Force Silhouette almost exclusively, for the simple reason that neither the Sword nor the Blast could fly.

"Luckily, I can still use the Excaliburs with the Force pack if I have to," he said.

Keinn dashed into the hangar, breathless. "Hey, Shinn! You'll never believe what I just heard!"

Actually, Shinn was quite prepared to believe whatever it was his classmate had to say. He'd long since learned to tell when Keinn was being serious and when the Savior's pilot was pulling one of his pranks. Considering Keinn's rather questionable personality, that was no mean feat.

"What is it, Keinn?" Shinn asked, climbing out of his cockpit.

Keinn was practically bouncing. "The higher-ups got some inside info on the Earth Forces fleet. We're talking numbers, ship types, mobile suits, schedules, the works."

Shinn's eyes widened. "How did they manage that?"

"Got me," Keinn said with a shrug. "Word is, even Commander Strassmeier thinks it's accurate. That tells you something right there."

"You got that right," Shinn said feelingly. "The guy's a terminal paranoiac, not that I blame him. If he thinks it's genuine, then I'll take his word for it."

"Don't get too complacent." Rey Za Burrel spoke from his place at the foot of his ZAKU Phantom. "Even with this information, the Alliance will likely have a surprise or two."

_He's got a point,_ Shinn thought. As he'd learned at the Academy, hating your enemy was all well and good, but not when it blinded you to their abilities. There were many things the Alliance could be called; stupid was not among them. It was, after all, the Alliance that invented the mobile suits which came to be known as Gundams.

"Still, you have to admit this gives us a huge advantage," Keinn said. "Even if this doesn't cover everything, we'll still be in good shape."

Rey nodded. "That's true. I'm just saying we shouldn't get overconfident. Just because you know what's coming doesn't mean you'll be able to stop it."

"Yeah, you've got a point," Keinn conceded. "I'm just looking forward to testing the Savior in combat."

Rey chuckled softly. "I don't blame you, Keinn. It's quite an impressive machine. Fortunately, we were able to requisition some Guuls, so Luna and I won't be trapped on the _Minerva_'s upper deck."

"And end up as target practice for some Alliance nutjob," Keinn agreed.

"Any idea how long we have?" Shinn asked.

Keinn shrugged. "I heard a couple of days. Should be enough time to get ready." A feral grin spread over his face. "Then we'll show the Alliance what we can do."

* * *

_Spengler_-class carrier _Midway_, bridge

* * *

Rear Admiral Jacob Adler glared out the bridge viewport. Like his now-deceased friend and Academy classmate Lawrence Stark, he was a veteran of the previous war, one who recalled their defeat with bitterness. The primary difference was that his ire was directed more at Orb than the PLANTs. He'd commanded a destroyer during the Battle of Orb, one which had had the misfortune of finding itself in a head-to-head engagement with the traitorous _Archangel_. Only Adler himself and a small handful of his crew had survived.

Normally, a captain who lost so badly could expect to be severely disciplined, demoted at best, cashiered at worst. Fortunately for Adler, even Lord Djibril wasn't so stupid as to think a destroyer could survive a close-range encounter with the _Archangel_.

Unlike his friend, Adler cared little for the genetic aspect of the conflict. He'd hated the Orb Union even before they aligned themselves with the PLANTs; it offended his sense of order that a nation of Earth would try to remain neutral in the face of a threat from the space colonies.

"Almost there," _Midway_'s captain said.

Adler smiled thinly. "I always knew I'd have a rematch with those Orb bastards," he said softly. "They put me in the hospital for months; now it's their turn."

"I confess that I'm looking forward to it myself," the captain said. Ian Hunter's (no relation to Commander Xavier Hunter) clipped British accent made an odd contrast to Adler's nasal tones. "We've been far too lenient with them over the past couple of years."

"We didn't have much choice," Adler reminded him. "Face it, Ian, we lost and lost badly at Jachin. That's why we're here now." His lip twisted. "I'll admit that Ambassador Phillips went a bit overboard when he said that Lady Athha should get a divorce."

Hunter rolled his eyes. He'd had the dubious honor of serving as a military attaché under Leonard Phillips, and hadn't enjoyed the experience. The man had the wrong temperament for diplomatic service. It was hardly surprising that he'd managed to offend two of Orb's ruling families.

"At least we didn't bring nukes along for this run," Hunter said. "I don't fancy having to deal with that new countermeasure of theirs, whatever it is."

"I doubt that they have it available here," Adler said. "Nevertheless, it would be foolish to take such a chance, since if we guessed wrong it would mean the annihilation of our own fleet."

Hunter nodded. "One thing does concern me, though," he said. "We'll be facing quite a large number of G-units here, certainly more than Admiral Stark faced. Not to mention both that new ZAFT warship _and_ the _Archangel_."

"I understand your concerns, Ian." Adler shrugged. "Even the Freedom can be overwhelmed despite its accursed multibeam attack. The Akatsuki may pose a challenge in some ways, but as you know they've finally refined the anti-PSA shells enough that they can be used by mobile suits."

"Even though only the Doppelhorn pack can use it, it still packs a wallop," Commander Donald Crane, Adler's chief of staff, put in.

Adler nodded. "In any case, the numerical advantage is ours. It should be more than enough to bring Orb to heel."

How wrong he was.

* * *

_Archangel_/_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

The oncoming Alliance fleet gave Murrue Ramius a profound sense of déjà vu. It seemed like only days before she'd been in that same position, preparing to oppose an Earth Forces invasion of her adopted country.

Of course, there were some differences on her own side. The midnight-black form of the _Valkyrie_ was the same, but Natarle Badgiruel's electric-blue _Thunderbird_ was present as well. ZAFT, for their part, still employed _Vosgulov_-class submarine carriers, but the mobile suits were far different. Instead of GhOONs, ZnOs, GINNs, CGUEs, and DINNs, the ZAFT mobile suit forces consisted mainly of the new ZAKU, ASH, and BABI models.

And, of course, there was the _Minerva_. Murrue didn't know Talia Gladys very well, but she was impressed by the other woman's ability. The fact that four of the _Minerva_'s pilots were graduates of Alex's special -and specially demanding- training course was an added bonus.

"It's almost exactly as the report said," Talia said. "There are some units not listed, but that's to be expected."

Murrue nodded. "It would have been too much to hope for to have a complete listing."

"What concerns me is a formation toward the rear," Talia said. "It looks like they might be screening something."

"Agreed," Alex said from _Archangel_'s hangar. He'd chosen to fly off Orb's flagship in part so that Cagalli could spend more time with her brother. "Unfortunately, we can't determine what; I've been in contact with ZAFT's orbital observation posts, and they can't tell, either."

Murrue frowned. "You'd think that with their angle, they'd be able to get a better view."

Alex shrugged minutely. "The rearmost area is distorted; best guess is Mirage Colloid or some variation thereof."

"Concur," Bart Heim said from _Minerva_'s bridge. "Radar and thermal detection reads negative."

"Hmm." Talia gazed thoughtfully at her own display, now showing an image from one of the orbital spotters. "It looks almost like a heat distortion."

Murrue grimaced. "I suspect that we'll find out whether we like it or not." She looked into CIC. "Miriallia, begin mobile suit launch sequence."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

_Archangel_/_Minerva_, hangar

* * *

_This is it,_ Kira thought. For the first time in more than two years, he was going into battle. Unlike his early battles, however, he had only the mildest of jitters. This time, he was going out as a highly skilled veteran, confident in his abilities.

That, and he didn't have to fight his best friend.

"X105 Strike, to starboard catapult," Miriallia's voice said. "X303 Aegis, to port."

The two mobile suits -Aegis having been modified for atmospheric flight- moved to their launch positions. Kira saw the familiar form of the Aile Striker pack being loaded onto Mu's Gundam.

"Mu La Flaga, Strike heading out!"

"Tolle Koenig, Aegis taking off!"

Mir didn't miss a beat as the Gundams launched. "ORB-01 Akatsuki to starboard catapult, X14A Anubis to port."

The next machines leapt into the air, and then it was Kira's turn. He took his position on the port catapult, Athrun moving to the starboard. There was a solid thud as the Freedom connected to the catapult. Kira pressed his head against the seat back, gripping his control bars tightly.

"Athrun Zala, Justice launching!"

"Kira Yamato, Freedom, let's do it!"

* * *

"Prepare for launch," Meyrin said. "You ready, Shinn?"

He tossed her a salute. "Ready to go."

"Acknowledged," Meyrin said. "We'll be sending the Force pack once you've cleared the deck."

"Roger." Shinn braced himself. "Core Splendor, launching!" The small fighter craft shot from the centerline catapult, followed swiftly by the various flyers.

A white ZAKU Phantom and red ZAKU Warrior burst out of the flank catapults. Two dark grey-green subflight lifters, Guuls, followed them out. The ZAKUs landed on them with pinpoint accuracy, allowing the normally flightless mobile suits better mobility in atmosphere.

Behind the red ZAKU, another machine made its way to the catapult, this one a Gundam. Keinn Legwitz was about to make his first sortie in his new machine.

"Connected to catapult," Meyrin said. "All clear for launch."

Keinn grinned. "Keinn Legwitz, Savior launching!"

* * *

Skies above Orb, Onogoro Island

* * *

Kira dodged the first beam from a Duel Dagger; his return shot caught the Alliance machine dead center. He'd learned in the last war that leaving enemies alive put friends in greater danger more often than not. So, much as he disliked it, he shot to kill.

Usually.

He spun his machine, dodging a hail of laser fire from one of the new models, equipped with what he recognized as the new Jet Striker pack. It didn't add anything that could threaten him; all the Jet pack provided was flight and a large number of missiles.

_GAT-04 Windam,_ Kira thought, recognizing the design from intelligence reports and footage of the nuclear attack on the PLANTs. It had the standard rifle/saber combination, plus a dual missile launcher mounted in the shield. Faster and more maneuverable than any Dagger variant, judging by the reports from Jachin.

"Not enough!" Kira brought his shield up to stop another beam, then returned fire. His shot took the Windam's head off.

Athrun engaged another in a saber duel, finally slicing it in half. "These guys are good, Kira. We're not dealing with amateurs, and the new machines are definitely a cut above the Dagger series."

"Yeah," Kira agreed, wincing as a third Windam cut down four Astrays, only to be shot down in turn by the Savior Gundam. One of the M1s had taken a hit from the Windam's shield-mounted missile launcher right in the cockpit at point-blank range.

Predictably, the Dagger Ls were doing more poorly. Despite being a later model, they were inferior to the 105 Dagger, no match for ZAFT's ZAKU or Orb's Murasame. Apparently recognizing that fact, the Earth Forces had deployed only two squad's worth. Now, thanks to a mixed squad of ZAKUs and Murasames, the latter in the markings of Sahaku's Black Knights, there was only one squad.

That squad quickly fell when Kira unleashed his trademark multibeam attack.

"Haven't lost your touch, eh, Kid?" Mu called.

Athrun barked a laugh. "He defeated one of our top aces when he'd never fought a battle before. Two years of peace aren't going to dull his edge." His Fortis cannons flashed, burning through an F-7D.

Kira, unchallenged for the moment, risked a glance at the ground battle. A few Forbidden Vortexes had made it onto the shoreline, where they encountered a team of ASHs, some of them in Orb orange and white. As both designs were somewhat ungainly on land, the fight was inconclusive until the arrival of a trio of ZAFT LaGOWEs.

A laser beam narrowly missing his optics snapped him back to the matter at hand. Cursing himself for getting distracted, Kira put a return shot through the 105 Dagger's head, the angle causing the shot to impact on the Striker pack's battery.

* * *

"Watch it, Shinn," Rey said crisply. "A couple of Daggers right behind you."

Shinn grimaced. Aile-equipped 105s, tricky opponents even for the Impulse. His primary advantages were his VPS and the fact that his weapons were somewhat heavier, since the Aile pack was effectively equal to the Force as far as mobility was concerned.

He was, however, a far better pilot. At precisely the right moment, he kicked in his verniers and skidded sideways. The 105s overshot him, allowing him to put two neat shots through their torsos. They exploded almost simultaneously.

Rey followed up, downing a formation of fighters with a missile salvo. Luna, a ways behind him, took aim at an Alliance destroyer, firing her beam cannon. The warship seemed to heave its way out of the water, then broke in half.

Shinn started to congratulate her, then yelped in surprise as a red blur sped past him. ZGMF-X23S Savior exploded into a formation of Windams, transforming as it went. Keinn didn't bother with his rifle, choosing instead to draw both sabers and perform some sort of spinning attack. Whatever it was, it caused bits and pieces of Windams to fly every which way.

"Nice going, Keinn," Shinn said. He allowed some annoyance to bleed into his voice. "How about you watch where you're going next time, all right?"

"Roger roger," Keinn said cheerfully.

Shinn shook his head in resignation. _Should've known better than to expect sense from him._ Pushing his unhinged classmate from his mind, he took careful aim at a Buster Dagger. He waited a beat, then squeezed the trigger.

He missed.

"What the?" Shinn tended to specialize in melee combat, but that didn't mean he was a poor shot, and Buster Daggers weren't exactly different targets.

Then he saw the emblem on the Dagger's left shoulder. Rena Imelia, the woman who in the last war had earned the nickname Sakura Burst for her exploits. Not an opponent to take lightly.

"Just great," he muttered. Though she had nothing against Coordinators per se, Imelia was known to have a virulent hatred for ZAFT. Even Shinn couldn't blame her, however much he disagreed; her hatred stemmed from the Le Creuset team's attack on Heliopolis, which had killed her students.

Unsurprisingly, Imelia had no trouble locating the machine that had shot at her. "I think it's time you space men got off my planet!" she snapped. Rifle and gun launcher came up, firing simultaneously.

Shinn swore, throwing the Impulse into a spin. While he had an advantage in mobility, the Buster Dagger was actually more heavily armed than the Force Impulse, though its ranged weapons weren't quite as powerful as the equivalent Gundam. Melee wasn't necessarily the answer, as unlike Dearka's machine the Dagger had beam sabers.

"Need some help, Shinn?" Keinn called.

"Leave this to me, Keinn!" Shinn snapped, dodging again as Rena sent a hyper-impulse sniper shot at him. His return fire missed as the Dagger jumped away at the last instant.

Rena landed on an islet just off shore. "It won't be that easy!" She fired her rifle repeatedly, bracketing the Impulse.

_This is bad,_ Shinn thought. With Mu La Flaga having defected to Orb in the last war, Rena Imelia was probably the Earth Forces' greatest ace. Fighting the battle on her terms was guaranteed to be a losing proposition.

Therefore, he had to change the rules. "_Minerva_, I'm in a bit of a bind. Send me an Excalibur, will you?"

"On the way," Meyrin replied. If she thought Shinn's request odd in any way, she didn't show it.

Rena frowned, puzzled, as the ZAFT-built Strike lookalike came to an abrupt halt. It immediately interposed its shield, temporarily stymieing her since she didn't have a good firing angle. _What exactly is he doing?_

Shinn smirked. The Impulse's position blocked Imelia's view, preventing her from seeing the incoming Silhouette flyer. An instant later he had the Excalibur in hand; Rena saw it, but he didn't employ it in the manner that she expected. Instead of charging her, swinging the blade, Shinn threw it.

Rena couldn't quite stifle a startled cry when the Excalibur landed right at her feet. Unfortunately for her, Shinn chose that moment to charge. Before she could reaction, Shinn had slashed her Dagger with both sabers, lopping off her machine's arms.

"Just back off," Shinn said. He jumped away.

"You're not finishing the job?" Rena called after him.

"I won't kill someone who can't fight back," Shinn retorted.

Knowing that she was beaten, Rena fell back, assisted by a pair of Windams. It astounded her that she would lose to a rookie so quickly, even if he was Silver Death's star pupil. High command was right, she decided, Shinn Asuka was a serious threat. He had to be dealt with, and soon.

* * *

Alex sighted along the barrel of his rifle and fired, catching a 105 Dagger square in the center of mass. Unlike in ground combat ("Body shots are for those who can't shoot," he often said), he disdained head shots. His reason was simple: A headless mobile suit could still fight.

An argent red beam from a Launcher-equipped 105 streaked past, struck the Akatsuki, and rebounded back, destroying the hapless Earth Forces machine.

"You'd think they'd have learned by now," Cagalli said.

"Your machine had never been hit with a hyper-impulse cannon before," Alex pointed out. "They were probably testing you."

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Some test." She turned sideways, blocking a saber attack from a Windam and retaliating with her double blade. The Windam fell in two pieces.

Alex, seeing two more Windams approaching, deployed his DRAGOONs. The first Windam was destroyed before the pilot could even react. His partner went evasive, even managing to get a few shots off, but he was only delaying the inevitable. His laser blasts splashed harmlessly against the Anubis's shield, and then a DRAGOON pod found him.

_Something's not right here,_ Alex thought. The rear of the Alliance fleet was still covered by the distortion of the Mirage Colloid-like effect they'd noticed earlier. It was an area big enough for something on the order of three _Spengler_-class carriers and their escorts. Whatever it was, it was almost certainly big and nasty.

Something slammed into him from behind, prompting an explosive curse. In the split second Alex had been distracted, a Windam had managed to sneak up on him. It hadn't done any real damage, but it had shaken him up, and it was too close for him to use his rifle or DRAGOONs effectively, due in part to the risk of hitting himself.

_All right, then. See how he likes surprises._ Instead of activating the Shirasaya or drawing a saber, Alex simply let the Windam come at him. Once it was close enough, he lashed out with his Gundam's right foot, catching the Windam in the torso. A punch to the optics knocked it flying.

Though the pilot had survived, he was definitely out of the fight.

Cagalli whistled. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone besides Barry Ho do something like that," she said in amazement.

"I've been training in the martial arts since I was a little kid," he reminded her, "and I have a certain amount of experience with mobile suits." His Shirasaya activated, slashing horizontally through a 105. It retracted an instant later, just in time to block a burst of fire from an Alliance cruiser.

_So, the Earth Forces have started using beam-based CIWS, eh?_ It wasn't that much of a surprise; the Earth Forces had plenty of observational data on the _Valkyrie_ from the first war. It didn't take a rocket scientist to recognize the potential benefits.

Not that it helped here. A burst from Alex's own CIWS put an end to that threat.

"Time to die, space monster!" yet another Windam pilot shouted. The Earth Force machine charged, saber ready…

* * *

_Archangel_/_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

"Gottfrieds, target the destroyer to port," Murrue snapped. "Fire!"

Four beams of brilliant green light flashed out in response, striking the indicated destroyer amidships. It seemed to lift out of the water, before splitting into neat sections and then exploding. The fireball and resultant shower of debris damaged a cruiser in the process.

Said cruiser was quickly finished off by a blast from the _Minerva_'s Tristan beam cannons.

Murrue couldn't help smiling. "Relay our thanks, Flay."

"Yes, ma'am," the redhead responded. A moment later, "Captain Gladys acknowledges."

"Captain, a message from Alex," Mir said.

Murrue turned in her chair. Mir sounded oddly tense. "What is it, Mir?"

"He says that the stealthed area at the rear of the Alliance fleet is large enough for three _Spengler_-class carriers and their escorts," Mir said.

Murrue's jaw dropped. "Three carrier battle groups?"

"What on Earth are they hiding?" Talia, speaking from her own bridge, wondered. "If any of the new GAT-X weapons or the stolen machines were here they would have been deployed already."

"Agreed." Murrue shrugged. "It's obvious that our information on the enemy force level was incomplete. Hardly a surprise."

Talia nodded. "Putting too much trust in intelligence reports can get you killed," she said. She glanced at Meyrin. "Do we have anyone in range to investigate?"

"Negative," the teen replied. "Keinn would be best, but he's too busy with a squad of Windams."

Talia hissed through clenched teeth. "Then we have to wait and see."

"Captain!" Mir suddenly yelled. "The Akatsuki!"

Murrue's gaze snapped to the forward screen, and she watched in horror as the Golden Gundam tumbled out of control.

* * *

Open skies 

* * *

Cagalli forced her machine back under control, cursing under her breath. What had hit her was no mystery; just before spinning out, she'd caught a glimpse of a Windam equipped with the Doppelhorn Striker pack, an artillery type unit. Recalling the ultradense anti-PSA projectile she'd been hit with at Mendel, she knew right away what must have happened.

_They must have refined it enough that mobile suit weapons could use it._ Unfortunately for the Earth Forces pilot, Cagalli's machine hadn't taken any serious damage; the attack, though heavy, hadn't struck any vital areas. Now he was going to learn what happened when the Lioness of Orb went all out.

Behind her eyes, a gold seed burst.

The Akatsuki's beam rifle came up, snapping off two quick shots. To the Alliance pilot's astonishment, his cannon barrels simply melted. Before he could react, Cagalli's mobile turret system had him bracketed from all sides. Mere seconds after that, the sleek Windam had been reduced to an amorphous blob of molten metal.

"Cagalli, are you all right?" Alex called. He sounded uncharacteristically agitated, and his normally expressionless face was tight with fear. He hadn't been close enough to intervene when she was hit.

Cagalli gave him a reassuring smile. "I've taken damage, but it's nothing to worry about."

Alex looked unconvinced -no surprise; he was a huge worrier where his family was concerned- but all he said was, "Understood."

The princess shook her head fondly. "You're hopeless."

* * *

Kira and Keinn fired together, their plasma cannons striking almost the exact same spot on an Alliance battleship. That spot just happened to be directly above the ship's powerplant; if Kira and Keinn hadn't been in the Freedom and Savior, they may well have followed their target into oblivion.

Heretofore something of a stalemate, the battle seemed to be turning in Orb's favor. Numerous Earth Forces vessels had been sunk, and countless mobile suits and fighters had been driven off or shot down. The combined Orb and ZAFT loses, by contrast, had been relatively light.

"_Relatively light," yeah, right,_ Kira thought in disgust. Though he had long since accepted his lot as a soldier, Kira still detested terms like "acceptable losses". He knew that people died in war, and that sometimes fighting was unavoidable, but he still hated it. 

He shook himself. _Now is not the time._ He shifted the Freedom into HiMAT mode, Athrun's Justice beside him. For all Kira's hatred of war, having Athrun Zala beside him was at least partial compensation. Their shared past gave them a deep understanding of each other, which made them a deadly combination on the battlefield.

This the Earth Forces had long since learned. Realizing that they could never win a stand-up fight against Justice and Freedom, the Windam and Dagger pilots employed an evasive hit-and-run strategy, firing on the move. It was a lesson learned the hard way.

Not that it helped them much. Kira's much-feared multibeam attack took out many of them before they even had a chance to fight back. Besides which, the only Alliance mobile suit capable of competing with the Freedom's mobility was Zebulon Markham's Corsair Gundam, and it was not present.

"We're almost there, Kira," Athrun said, impaling a Duel Dagger.

Kira nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

They were both very wrong. 

* * *

_Midway_, bridge

* * *

Admiral Adler grimaced. "I'd hoped to wait a bit longer, but it would seem we have no choice." He looked at Captain Hunter. "Deactivate the stealth field. Deploy the reserve forces and the Zamza-Zah."

"Yes, sir." Hunter nodded to his comm officer. Then, in a lower voice, "Are you sure about this, sir? The Zamza-Zah is still untested."

"I know, but we have no choice," Adler said. "The positron reflector should stymie the _Archangel_ and that new ZAFT ship, and it's heavily armed enough to give even the great Kira Yamato trouble."

Hunter hesitated, then nodded. Personally, he was of the opinion that the age of the mobile armor was over. The original Moebius design was for all practical purposes target practice to any reasonably competent GINN pilot; even the Moebius Zero was obsolete. Granted there were exceptions, such as the new Exus, but for the most part they had outlived their usefulness.

Nevertheless, orders were orders, and Hunter had to admit he was looking forward to seeing how Orb and their ZAFT allies reacted to the positron reflector.

* * *

_Spengler_-class carrier _Guadalcanal_, hangar

* * *

The large mobile armor's three-man crew climbed aboard with much grunting and cursing. It was quite possibly the most awkward, bulky, and downright hideous machine any of them had ever seen, rivaling ZAFT's underwater mobile suits. Getting in and out was a bigger annoyance than any of them liked.

_It's worth it, though,_ the pilot thought. Unlike the fleet flag captain, he had opposed the adoption of mobile suits from the start. It had nothing to do with the fact that at first only Coordinators could pilot mobile suits. He simply didn't see the need to expend the money necessary to produce mobile suits when mobile armors could still be refined. Needless to say, he had not been Lewis Halberton's biggest fan even before the Admiral defected to Orb.

The first gunner fell rather than sat in his own chair. "Man, I hate this."

"I don't blame you," the pilot admitted. "Still, it's better than a Moebius; at least this thing can take on a mobile suit and survive."

"I hear that," the second gunner agreed, dropping into his own chair. "This time we show those bastards what a mobile armor can really do."

"Zamza-Zah, all systems green," a voice said. "Prepare to launch."

The pilot gave his two gunners a last once-over. Both men looked understandably tense, yet ready for whatever they had to face. It was the best attitude possible under the circumstances.

He leaned forward in his chair. "Take us out."

* * *

_Archangel_/_Minerva_, bridge

* * *

Murrue blinked in surprise when the stealth field came down. Instead of the three carrier battle groups they had suspected, they saw a single carrier and an unusually large number of destroyers. It was. to put it mildly, unusual.

"What's going on here?" Mu wondered over the open channel. "One carrier and a bunch of destroyers?"

"It is strange," Murrue agreed. "Talia, any ideas?"

The blonde captain shook her head. "I'm afraid not. It's not what you'd expect them to have in reserve, certainly not something they'd want to keep under a stealth field. Unless..."

"Captain, something's launching from the carrier!" Bart Heim interrupted. "Tentatively identified as a mobile armor!"

A derisive snort sounded over the comm. "A mobile armor?" Alex said incredulously. "I'd thought the Earth Forces had completed the transition to mobile suits; yes, they have the Exus, but it isn't exactly common."

"That's what I'd heard," Heim admitted. "Still, sir, it's definitely not a mobile suit."

The mobile armor soon came into view. It was quadrupedal, and clearly flight-capable; anything else would have been useless. It was also visibly heavily armed; the thing bristled with guns, and each leg ended in a giant claw.

"Is that some sort of crab?" Mir wondered.

Then the crab-like mobile armor opened fire, downing three Murasames and twice that many ZAKUs before they had a chance to react. A follow-up volley brought down a BABI, four Astrays, and an Orb AWACS aircraft. An ASH that popped to the water's surface was crushed in the mobile armor's claws. 

"Charge the Tannhauser!" Talia barked.

Murrue snapped out of her brief daze. "You can't! The environmental damage-"

"We have no choice," Talia said. "Whatever that thing is, it has to be stopped! Fire!"

A brilliant red stream erupted from the _Minerva_'s bow. Seldom used in atmosphere because of the release of gamma radiation, the stream of antimatter literally annihilated anything in it's path. Those watching confidently expected the rampaging mobile armor to cease to exist.

Instead, the blast splashed harmlessly off an energy field.

* * *

Open sky

* * *

Shinn gaped in shock, seeing the antimatter blast so easily stopped. _That's impossible! Nothing can block an antimatter cannon; even the Anubis's and Akatsuki's energy shields would be overloaded!_ He brought up his rifle, dimly aware of Luna, Keinn, and Rey joining their fire with his.

"This isn't working, Shinn!" Keinn said. "It's just shrugging it off!"

Shinn cursed. _There's gotta be a way!_ He grimaced, knowing what the only way was, and that it could very well get him killed. "Keinn, Rey, Luna, cover me." He stowed his rifle. "I'm going in close."

"And you call _me_ crazy?" Keinn burst out. "That's suicide!"

"There's no other way," Shinn countered. "Ranged attacks are a waste of time, someone has to go in and slice it up."

"Shinn-"

Rey cut him off. "He's right, Keinn, and while the Savior is the most maneuverable, Shinn's the best pilot. None of the seniors are in range."

Keinn grimaced. "...All right. But you be careful, Shinn!"

Shinn smiled. "I will." 

The Zamza-Zah's crew saw him coming, of course. Only a blind man could have missed Shinn's banzai charge. Knowing a Gundam when they saw one, the gunners immediately focused their attacks on the Impulse. Displaying greater skill than he had to date, Shinn evaded the storm of energy fire, albeit narrowly.

Once he reached melee range, however, he abruptly realized that he had a problem. The extended battle had almost depleted his machine's battery. At most, five minutes of power remained, after which he would be helpless.

_Then I'll just have to make my hits count!_ Unfortunately, the huge mobile armor was proving surprisingly agile. Shinn's first saber attack missed completely, while his second merely grazed one leg. Before he could strike a third time, he was forced to evade a storm of energy fire.

"Just go down!" he snarled. "I don't have time for this!"

The Zamza-Zah responded by lashing out with its front legs.

Shinn grunted as the attack sent him tumbling. "This is bad." He was down to ninety seconds of power, and those ninety seconds seemed to be going past much more quickly than they ought to. Then it was sixty seconds. Then thirty.

Then none.

The Zamza-Zah lashed out again, this time grasping the Impulse's right leg in its claws. It gave a hard tug, literally wrenching the limb in two at the knee. It then tossed the Impulse aside like so much debris, almost as if the crew was taunting Shinn.

Shinn cried out as he fell.

* * *

Zamza-Zah cockpit

* * *

"See that?" the pilot said with a smirk. "Even a G-weapon falls before this mobile armor!"

The first gunner couldn't help grinning. "That's one of the machines that gave Phantom Pain so much trouble up in space, too."

"Not anymore," the second gunner agreed. "He's toast."

Nothing could have been farther from the truth.

* * *

Open skies

* * *

It wasn't losing a battle per se that was so galling. No, the fact that he had failed cut Shinn to the core. In losing to the Alliance mobile armor, he had failed himself, his comrades, and his homeland. He had lost, and he was going to die.

_No. No, it can't end like this! I have to...I have to protect them!_

In the depths of Shinn's mind, a crimson seed exploded.

The Impulse's thrusters lit, breaking its fall. With his machine stable, Shinn keyed his comm. "_Minerva_, I need a recharge and a new leg unit ASAP."

"Roger that," Meyrin responded, sounding more than a little relieved. "Keinn, Luna, Rey, cover him."

"Roger roger," Keinn said.

"Got it," Luna agreed.

"Understood," Rey said.

Shinn smiled, then turned his machine toward the _Minerva_. The gem-like device on the Impulse's head came to life, drawing in power from the ship's transmitter. At the same time, a flyer launched from the centerline catapult, replacing the limb lost to the Zamza-Zah.

The Impulse's PSA reactivated, and Shinn's smile widened.

Since the Earth Forces knew nothing of the SEED factor, it was virtually certain that they had no idea what had just been unleashed. Not that it would have mattered; any such individual whose SEED was active was almost impossible to stop.

Shinn's beam saber lashed out, cutting the Zamza-Zah's right foreleg clean off. He followed through, taking off two beam cannons and almost reaching the cockpit before pulling back. After dodging a retaliatory salvo with an impossible-looking corkscrew maneuver, he struck again, this time shorting out the positron reflector.

"That's better," he said. In the corner of his eye he saw Keinn shoot down a pair of Windams that tried to interfere, but it didn't matter. Shinn drew his second beam saber, holding both weapons up in an X shape. He then brought them down into the mobile armor's main body.

In his last instant of life, the Zamza-Zah's pilot thought that, perhaps, the age of the mobile armor was truly over.

Shinn wasn't finished. Even as the _Guadalcanal_ fell to Samorei Joule's Gladiator, cut cleanly in half, he was off. The nearest destroyer took a saber attack to the bridge section; a vengeful Spearhead flight ran into a CIWS burst at point-blank range.

"What's gotten into _him_?" Keinn gasped. "It's unbelievable!"

By the end of his rampage, Shinn had sunk nearly every destroyer in the reserve formation, and downed a pair of 105 Daggers in the process. It was as though a demon had been unleashed in their midst, and the Earth Forces were caught completely by surprise.

Luna voiced the general sentiment. "What _is_ he?"

* * *

_Midway_, bridge

* * *

Admiral Adler coughed on smoke. "Status report!"

"Admiral, the reserve force has been destroyed, along with the Zamza-Zah," Hunter said. He looked more than a little shell-shocked. "The majority of it by a single mobile suit, the prototype Phantom Pain failed to capture."

"_One_ mobile suit?" Adler shook his head. "Never mind. That can wait."

Hunter rubbed his eyes; they were streaming from the smoke. "What do we do, sir?"

Adler sighed. "We have no choice, Captain. We've lost this battle. Full retreat." He closed his eyes. "Right now, our primary responsibility is to safeguard what remains of our force, and report to high command."

"Agreed, sir," Hunter said. He turned to pass on the order.

_This isn't the end,_ Adler thought. _We'll be back, and you will pay for what you've done._

* * *

Open skies

* * *

The five nuclear Gundams hovered apart from the rest, the pilots surveying the stretch of ocean that had so recently been a battlefield.

"I have to hand it to you, Alex, you have a good eye," Sam said, watching the Impulse land on the _Minerva_'s deck.

Alex shook his head. "I had no idea Shinn was capable of this, Sam," he said. "I knew he was good, but not _this_ good. And I can think of only one explanation."

"The SEED," Kira said. "Right?"

"Right," Alex confirmed. "You and Athrun are the only people I've ever seen wreak that kind of havoc so fast. Shinn Asuka has the SEED, no doubt about it."

Athrun pulled off his helmet, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Good thing, too. That mobile armor was more powerful than I'd expected."

"I, as well," Alex agreed. "I underestimated them rather badly. That shield is a particularly ominous sign; I've never seen anything save a light-wave barrier that could stop an antimatter blast."

"Not to mention they've refined the anti-PSA shell," Cagalli said with a grimace. "Guys, we've won the battle, but the war's really going to heat up."

Kira sighed. "I wish I could disagree, Cagalli, but I can't. It never seems to stop."

"Human nature, Kira," Alex said. "Human nature. As long as there are people, there will always be war."

Kira winced, but he knew his brother-in-law was right. He hadn't used to believe that, but his experiences in the last war had burned that particular piece of idealism out of him forever. That was part of why he had chosen to remain a soldier.

"I just hope it isn't as bloody as the last time," he said softly.

"Me, too, Kira," Athrun said.

Sadly, none of them really believed it, however much they wanted to. They knew the war would be long, hard and bloody. All they could do was fight for what they believed was right.

* * *

Author's note: Again, apologies for the extreme lateness of this chapter; it didn't seem to want to come together. I must also state that while this battle may have been decidedly one-sided, it was for specific plot reasons. This is only the beginning; the coming battles will by and large be _much_ nastier all around. The next fight will feature, among other things, the return of the Extendeds...


	10. Chapter 10: The League

I own nothing save my own characters and machines.

Cassandra Joule is the creation of Artificial Life Creator.

Samorei Joule, Keinn Legwitz, and Sagira Marusu are the creation of NukeDawg. The Black Knights idea is also his, and is used with permission.

* * *

"In the wake of the Second Battle of Orb, we felt it necessary to establish an organization that would make our goals plain, much as the Earth Alliance had already done with their so-called 'World Security Treaty Organization'. Thus the League of Free Nations was born." Siegel Clyne, from a series of postwar interviews conducted by Jess Rabble.

* * *

Chairman Clyne's office, Aprilius One

* * *

The news of the Second Battle of Orb had had an electrifying effect on the PLANTs. People were literally cheering in the streets, jubilant that the Alliance had taken such a pounding. It was a stark contrast to attitudes early in the last war.

Much as he wished he could, Siegel couldn't share their enthusiasm. He knew all too well how strong the Earth Alliance member nations, particularly the Atlantic Federation, were. Not to mention the after-action report was more than a little disturbing.

His comm buzzed. "Your Excellency, you have an incoming call from Orb," his secretary said. "It's flagged top priority."  
He straightened. Not many people had such access; when they used it, it was well to listen. "Put it through."

The hawk-like visage of Alex Strassmeier looked out at him. "I'm sorry to bother you, Your Excellency, but there are some things that I need to bring to your attention."

Siegel waved a hand. "Please don't apologize, Commander. What is it?"

"A couple of recommendations, actually," Alex said. "The first is that Talia Gladys be brought into FAITH."

Siegel's eyebrows went up. "You believe she has the necessary qualifications?"

"I've only ever seen three better ship captains," Alex said flatly, "Murrue and Lia Ramius and Natarle Badgiruel. She has what it takes, Your Excellency."

Siegel nodded. "I see. And your other recommendation?"

"Restart the GOUF project," Alex said. "The ZAKU simply cannot match the Windam's mobility; the GOUF is the only ZAFT design that can."

"I see," Siegel repeated. The recommendation was something of an irony; Alex had vociferously opposed both the ZAKU and the GOUF designs, advocating buying the latest Orb design instead. Some speculated -correctly- that he had strong prejudice in favor of Morgenroete. "I will speak to Committee Chairwoman Joule on this matter. Anything else?"

Alex hesitated. "Actually, there is. Are you familiar with the SEED?"

Siegel frowned. "I've heard of it. Superior Evolutionary Element Destined factor, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Alex nodded. "Those who possess it are said to be capable of advancing to the next stage of human evolution. While that is only a theory, it is undeniable that those who have it can temporarily exceed their ordinary limits."

"I see," Siegel said. "I take it you have a reason for bringing this up now?"

Alex nodded again. "To date, there have been four mobile suit pilots known to bear the SEED, Kira Yamato, Cagalli Yula Athha, Athrun Zala, and myself. After the recent battle, I believe we must add a fifth: Shinn Asuka."

"Indeed," Siegel said. "His performance suddenly increased?"

"That, sir, is an understatement," Alex said. "I was sure he was doomed when that mobile armor knocked him out of the sky, but he suddenly recovered, took the thing apart, and proceeded to destroy several warships." He shook his head. "He's not at Kira's level -only Athrun is as far as I know- but he's definitely something special."

Siegel pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I'll bear that in mind," he said at last. "As for Captain Gladys, I have read the after-action report, and I trust your judgment."

"Thank you, sir," Alex said.

"One more thing," Siegel said. "Please tell Lord Uzumi that I will be traveling to Orb soon. I need to speak with him in person."

Alex saluted. "I'll deliver the message, Your Excellency." His image winked out.

There were times, Siegel reflected, when having Uzumi Nara Athha's son-in-law in ZAFT was very useful indeed.

* * *

Victoria Base

* * *

Jean-Pierre La Flaga gazed at the line of mobile suits, unable to conceal the pride he felt. After endless weeks of training, the anti-mobile suit squad known as the Blue Knights was at last ready for deployment. They had shaped up better than he had believed possible.

"I'd put this squad up against any Orb or ZAFT unit in a heartbeat," he told his XO.

Thomas Markinson nodded agreement. "They've exceeded standards in every area," he said. "I think we're ready, Commander."

"Excuse me, sirs."

J.-P. turned. A nervous-looking petty officer stood nearby, a clipboard in hand. "What is it?"

The petty officer held out his clipboard. "Admiral Benton asked me to deliver this."

J.-P. accepted it. "Thank you, PO. Dismissed." The petty officer saluted and left.

Markinson tilted his head. "A report of some kind?"

"The wrong kind," Jean-Pierre said. He grimaced. "Admiral Adler's attack on Orb didn't go very well. I know we didn't expect it to, but this is worse than even I imagined."

"How much worse?"

"The fleet was virtually annihilated," J.-P. said flatly. "ZAFT deployed another G-unit, this one apparently based at least in part on the Murasame, and Strassmeier's star pupil defeated Rena Imelia, destroyed the Zamza-Zah, and sank several warships in the bargain."

Markinson's jaw dropped. "How did he pull that off!?"

"No one knows," Jean-Pierre said grimly. "All we have are the survivors' reports." He took a deep breath. "It seems that after being damaged by the Zamza-Zah, this Asuka fellow suddenly made a huge jump in performance. Whatever it was, it was enough for him to outfight pretty much everything that faced him."

Markinson swore under his breath. "This is bad. If he can do that with one of their Second Stage models..."

"Imagine what he could do with a higher-level machine," Jean-Pierre finished. "Believe me, the thought crossed my mind as soon as I read this report. As it happens, the top brass agree; Shinn Asuka has been designated a priority target."

"I'd be shocked if they hadn't," Markinson said. "Anyone who can do something like that is a major threat to us, and it's not like he's alone." Memories flashed through his mind; the Freedom's infamous multibeam attack, the Anubis reducing Daggers of every type to debris, and his own almost fatal encounter with Shiho Hahnenfuss's CGUE DEEP Arms.

"That's what we're for," Jean-Pierre said. "I doubt that even I could take him in single combat, G-weapon or not, but with proper teamwork we can do it." He chuckled without humor. "At least we won't be tasked with taking out the Freedom."

"Fortunately," Markinson agreed, wincing. "Do we have any deployment orders? We can hardly do anything from here."

Jean-Pierre smiled. "As a matter of fact, we do. The Blue Knights are to be deployed to the new base in India. We'll have to put up with both Phantom Pain and the _Seraphim_ crew, but it won't be too bad."

Markinson shrugged. "I can live with that if I have to."

"Good." His CO's smile grew cold. "Because soon we'll be able to show ZAFT and Orb how mobile suits are _really_ used."

* * *

_Minerva_, firing range

* * *

Luna took a deep breath, let half of it out, and squeezed the trigger.

She missed completely.

"Take it easy," Alex advised. He drew his own weapon, a standard automatic instead of his anachronistic Luger. "Watch." He settled into a two-handed firing stance, pistol aimed directly downrange. His eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed the range to the target, his stance shifted imperceptibly, and then he fired. One, two, three shots struck dead center.

Luna's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "Incredible!"

"It just takes practice, and a proper mindset," Alex said with a shrug. "I've seen you in combat, so I know you have the latter. Just keep practicing."

"I will, sir," Luna said. "I don't expect to have much use for it, though."

"Don't make assumptions, Luna," Alex said. "Anything can happen; recall what happened to _me_ during Break the World." His lip twitched in a brief grimace. "My assumption that I could take five normal Gundams with a nuclear-powered unit very nearly got me killed."

Luna swallowed. "I understand, sir."

"And that's why you should keep practicing," Alex said, his voice lightening noticeably. "It's always possible that you'll be shot down behind enemy lines, and have to fend for yourself."

"I understand," Luna repeated.

Alex nodded, then began field stripping his pistol for cleaning. It wasn't really a surprise that Luna was lacking in pistol marksmanship, however good she was as a pilot. Small arms were considered at most a precautionary measure for pilots; the only mobile suit pilot Alex knew of who even approached his passion for such weapons was Athrun Zala.

_She'll learn._ There was no doubt of that; anyone who not only survived his special course but passed it with flying colors was extremely adaptable. Shinn Asuka may have been the star, but Lunamaria Hawke was no slouch, and Keinn Legwitz and the mysterious Rey Za Burrel weren't bad themselves.

_A new generation,_ Alex mused. _Of course, there's not really an "old" generation, is there? For pity's sake, I'm just twenty._

The hatch behind them opened, admitting Talia Gladys. "Excuse me, Commander, but we just received a message from the Homeland that you should hear."

Luna rose. "If you'll excuse me-"

"It's all right, Luna," Alex said. "I highly doubt that it's anything classified. Captain?"

"Even if it was classified, Luna as one of our pilots has a need-to-know," Talia said. "It seems the Alliance's First Naval Fleet has a new CO, Commander. Vice Admiral Hideo Takahashi."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Takahashi? As in the East Asian naval officer I met during the peace talks last year?"

"The same," Talia confirmed.

Luna just looked confused. "Excuse me, but who is this Takahashi?"

"Luna, Hideo Takahashi is without a doubt the Republic of East Asia's greatest naval strategist," Alex said grimly. "He's been compared to Isoroku Yamamoto, the mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attack. Unusually for a flag officer, he is also a formidable mobile suit pilot; he prefers the GAT-10A1 105 Dagger with a Sword Striker pack equipped."

Luna's eyes widened. Alex had always been adamant that his students have a firm grasp of military history, so she immediately saw where he was headed. "You're saying he's a major threat to us."

"Very possibly the biggest as far as strategy is concerned," Alex said. "His strategic acumen is almost unrivaled; no one else in the Earth Forces even comes close, in Orb as far as I know only Natarle Badgiruel can match him, in ZAFT only Commander Waltfeld and myself." The last could have been bragging, but it wasn't; Alex was simply stating a fact.

"That reminds me," Alex said, abruptly switching mental gears. "Captain Gladys, in my report to Chairman Clyne I recommended that you be appointed to FAITH." He reached into a pocket of his white jacket and pulled out a wing-like emblem, which he affixed to an astonished Talia's uniform. "Congratulations, Captain."

Talia gaped for a moment, then reigned herself in. "This is quite an honor." She shook herself. "I understand the Chairman is coming to Orb for an event of some kind."

"Correct," Alex said. "He didn't say exactly what, at least not to me. All I know is he'll be meeting with Lord Uzumi." He gave one of his minimalist shrugs. "It's important, that much is clear."

Clear from the guest list, if nothing else. Two other members of the Supreme Council were expected, Gilbert Durandal and Ezalia Joule. According to reports, Durandal was to be accompanied by FAITH operative Sagira Marusu, while Ezalia was being escorted by her son Yzak and his second-in-command Dearka Elsman. All three were bringing their mobile suits, in case of trouble.

Alex, of course, expected trouble.

* * *

Earth Forces base, India

* * *

It is axiomatic in war that what you don't know can and will hurt you. Missing one seemingly insignificant piece of information can turn a resounding success into a debacle that one would be fortunate to survive. When that one piece of information turns out to be an enemy base with dozens of mobile suits, several of them Gundams, then survival all too often becomes a moot point.

Such was the Earth Forces intention in establishing a hidden base on the Indian subcontinent. It didn't take a genius to figure out that when the _Minerva_ and traitorous _Archangel_ left Orb again, they would be heading west, a course that would take them through the Indian Ocean.

Where Neo Roanoke would be waiting to crush them.

His emotions were decidedly mixed as he watched the _Archangel_-class vessel _Seraphim_ make its way into the hidden docking area. On the one hand, the extra firepower was welcome; Neo knew all too well what Murrue Ramius and Talia Gladys were capable of, to say nothing of Natarle Badgiruel. On the other, even without Jean-Pierre La Flaga there was likely to be some friction between the _Seraphim_ contingent and Neo's own Phantom Pain. Gustav Krieger in particular was likely to be troublesome; the Nazi-wannabe had a pronounced tendency to regard the Extendeds, Stellar especially, as toys, something Neo did not appreciate.

_Maybe he'll be dumb enough to take on the Justice, and Zala will stick a beam saber in his gut._ Neo pushed the thought aside. Pleasant thought it was, it was unlikely to happen any time soon. Krieger was a vicious psychopath, but he was also a good pilot. Unfortunately.

Neo extended a hand to the warship's CO as the other man debarked. "Welcome to India, Captain Throne."

Captain Jasper Throne shook it. "Thank you, Captain Roanoke. I understand there was a bit of a problem at Orb recently."

Neo snorted. "Yeah, you could say that. The fleet we sent was practically wiped out, including that new mobile armor."

"That's because they didn't have _us_ along," Throne said. Behind them trailed Xavier Hunter, the rest of _Seraphim_'s Gundam pilots, and the Extendeds, Auel Neider, Sting Oakley, and Stellar Loussier. "I understand that La Flaga and his new 'Blue Knight' squad will be joining us."

"Yeah," Neo agreed. "This time it'll be different." He didn't add that Jean-Pierre La Flaga was fortunate to have been transferred. For all that he was a capable ship captain, Jasper Throne was also one of the most arrogant individuals in the Alliance.

He also didn't like the way Krieger was looking at Stellar. Neither did Auel and Sting; they stood on either side of the blonde Extended, shooting Krieger looks that were just shy of belligerent. No surprise; they'd always been protective of Stellar, occasionally to the point of violence.

"Agreed," Throne said, oblivious to both Neo's thoughts and the Extendeds' tension. "This time we'll take out ZAFT's new wonder ship _and_ the 'Indestructible _Archangel_' in one fell swoop."

Confident though he was, Neo privately thought that was stretching things. Oh, he was sure they could win, but the sort of victory Throne was describing was unlikely at best. He had seen Athrun Zala in action, and had studied footage of Kira Yamato's battles, both in the Strike and the Freedom. He had no desire to fight them both at once.

"So," Throne said, "how are your people shaping up?"

Neo shrugged. "The Dagger and Windam pilots are doing well, but the core of our unit is the Extendeds." He half-turned and nodded at his subordinates. "They've already mastered their new machines, and since the eggheads are finally finished with the reverse-engineering work, we're finally ready for action again."

"Good," Throne said. To Neo's mild annoyance, he was practically rubbing his hands with glee.

Neo stopped and faced Throne directly. "I don't blame you for being excited, but don't get overconfident," he said mildly. "The _Archangel _group survived everything we _and _ZAFT threw at them, and the people on the 'wonder ship' may be green, but that doesn't make them bad."

"What are you saying?" Throne demanded.

"My best people couldn't beat them, and neither could yours," Neo reminded the other. "If we're not careful, they'll blow us away."

* * *

Lord Uzumi's office, Orb Union

* * *

"I see," Uzumi said. He leaned forward slightly. "You are suggesting we create a formal organization in response to the Alliance's WSTO?"

Siegel Clyne nodded. "Orb and the PLANTs are tied together literally by blood," he said, referring to Alex and Cagalli. "That, however, can all too easily be construed as simply a union of two enemies of Earth. I believe we must make our intentions clear."

"Chairman Clyne is right," an Australian-accented voice put in. Albert Cadwallader, Prime Minister of the Oceania Union, was a driven man, his laid-back exterior notwithstanding. "This is about more than just us versus the Earth Alliance; we have to take neutral opinion into account as well."

"I agree." Premier Mahmoud al-Fasil of the African Community was an odd sort. He frequently came across as an unsophisticated provincial, at least in the eyes of the Earth Forces, and thus was very often underestimated.

Uzumi was silent for several moments. "I agree as well," he said at last. "Siegel is certainly correct about how Cagalli's marriage can be construed, given Alex's outward demeanor."

There was more to it than that, of course. Uzumi Nara Athha had never hidden his loathing of the Alliance member nations, particularly the Atlantic Federation. Given that, along with his equally well known sympathy for Coordinators, it was easy to see his joining forces with Siegel Clyne as two of Earth's enemies uniting.

Not everyone would believe that, of course. Leaving aside ZAFT's other Earthbound allies, Oceania and the African Community, the Equatorial Union and Kingdom of Scandinavia (the latter Clyne's birthplace) had always had at least cordial relations with Orb. As for the United States of South America, _anything_ that made the Atlantic Federation look bad was something they would support.

"That just leaves one issue," Cadwallader said. "What do we call this new organization?"

* * *

The announcement went out over virtually every news service on Earth and in space. Even the Atlantic Federation government felt no need to censor it; they believed (correctly) that the raw feed could easily be twisted to their own purposes.

"In other news, a major conference took place today in the capital of the Orb Union," a typical newscast began. "Following this meeting, Orb Chief Representative Uzumi Nara Athha, PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne, Oceania Union Prime Minister Albert Cadwallader, and African Community Premier Mahmoud al-Fasil held a joint news conference outside the Orb Capitol building." The immaculately groomed woman cleared her throat. "We have video now."

Cut to a shot of Uzumi. "Today I am proud to announce the formation of the League of Freed Nations," he said simply.

Before he could get any further, a reporter already had his hand in the air. "Lord Uzumi, is this in any way connected to the World Security Treaty Organization?"

"It is," the Chief Representative confirmed. "The Earth Alliance -specifically, the Atlantic Federation- knowingly and deliberately lied about the Break the World incident. Moreover, even before that they launched an unprovoked attack on the ZAFT facility at Armory One."

The reporter, a Scandinavian, looked unconvinced. "But sir, the Alliance provided images of ZAFT mobile suits at the colony remains."

"Those images were of obsolete models no longer in ZAFT service," Uzumi told him. "I have confirmation of that."

The screen cut back to the news anchor. "The Atlantic Federation government has denounced this new organization," she said.

Another cut, this time to President Copeland. "Those space monsters and their friends can talk all they want about 'free nations'," he said in obvious disgust. "We know the truth. They dropped the remains of Junius Seven on us, _they_ tried to wipe us out!"

* * *

"I have to say, even though I'm a patriot, the President has lost his mind," Jean-Pierre La Flaga said, watching Copeland's speech.

Thomas Markinson grunted agreement. "Only a Blue Cosmos fanatic would believe that line."

"It was probably a Blue Cosmos fanatic who _gave_ him that line," J.-P. muttered.

* * *

"How can you tell Copeland is lying?" Alex said with a snort. "His lips are moving."

Yzak laughed softly. "You got that right."

* * *

Athha residence, Orb Union

* * *

Despite his recently-acquired status as an Orb noble, Kira was somewhat ill at ease when meeting various movers and shakers. More precisely, major political figures, save of course Lord Uzumi, Siegel Clyne, and Ezalia Joule; he was quite comfortable with high-ranking military leaders. The fact the one of those military leaders was his best friend probably had something to do with it.

"Is there some kind of rule that dress uniforms _must_ be uncomfortable?" Tolle complained.

Kira agreed. He himself preferred either his standard duty uniform or his flightsuit. "I think that's a problem of all formal wear, not just dress uniforms."

"Yeah, whatever," Tolle muttered.

Kira shrugged. Fortunately, there was a fair number of soldiers scattered among the politicos, so he didn't feel too out of place.

He'd come with Flay, of course. At the moment, the redhead was chatting with Miriallia Haw and the younger Hawke, Meyrin. Kira didn't begrudge her, though he wasn't a very chatty sort himself. He preferred working on his Gundam's OS, or hanging out with his old friend Athrun.

Alex and Cagalli stood together near one wall, the former holding what looked like a glass of Champaign. Kira knew that his brother-in-law seldom drank, which meant the older pilot was likely trying -in vain, given his distinctive appearance- to remain inconspicuous. He was probably also feeling a bit of deja vu, since he'd first met Cagalli at a very similar reception some years previously.

The four pilots from the _Minerva_ has gathered around a table across the room. Kira didn't know any of them very well, but he'd seen them in action, so he had no doubts about their abilities. Even if Keinn Legwitz was more than a little unhinged.

Talia Gladys and Arthur Trine had arrived minutes before. Kira, accustomed to the likes of Natarle Badgiruel, didn't think much of Trine. The man struck him as an unimaginative plodder, hardly a good choice for the XO of ZAFT's most advanced warship.

"So you're the famous Kira Yamato," a soft voice said.

Kira turned. "Commander Marusu," he said, mildly surprised.

Sagira Marusu smiled. "Don't look so startled. Your face is well known, and it's not every day a foreign national is awarded the Order of the Nebula."

"Yeah," Kira said. She had a point.

"I just wanted to express my admiration for your prowess," Sagira went on. "You are quite possibly one of a kind on the battlefield."

Kira maintained his poise, but inwardly he winced. _I'm not _that_ good._ "That's not true. Athrun's as good as I am, and Le Creuset almost killed me."

"Maybe so, but your record in battle is unmatched," Sagira said. "I do believe you are the only undefeated mobile suit pilot in existence. Congratulations." She bowed and moved off.

_That was weird._ Kira knew of Sagira Marusu, of course, and that Alex didn't trust her. However, aside from the fact that she was an expert pilot, and that Durandal was her patron, he didn't know much about her. She was a mystery, age unknown, background unknown.

"She's certainly an oddity, isn't she."

Kira looked up. Alex and Cagalli had joined him while he pondered. "Yeah," he told the former. "Something about her just doesn't add up."

"Agreed." Alex frowned slightly, looking at the woman. "Marusu doesn't move the way she should."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"She's supposed to be an expert at hand-to-hand combat, good enough to rival me, even, yet she doesn't move like a martial artist," Alex explained. "Trust me, I know what to look for."

Kira shrugged. "I'll take your word for it," he said, and wandered off to talk to Athrun.

* * *

Shinn had seldom felt so out of place. Born to a family of no particular note, he suddenly found himself rubbing elbows with movers and shakers from no fewer than four nations. He supposed it was because of a combination of his participation in ZAFT's latest project and his connection to the famed Spider of Artemis. Regardless, it felt very weird.

"Nice place the Athhas have," Keinn commented, looking around appreciatively. "Cozy."

Rey chuckled softly. "You always did love creature comforts, Keinn."

Savior's pilot looked mildly affronted. "What's wrong with wanting a little luxury?"

"Now, now, be nice," Luna told them, restraining a giggle.

Shinn ignored them. He was just glad of a chance to relax, after nearly being killed by a mobile armor in the recent battle. If he hadn't suddenly manifested the SEED, a fact that astonished him, his death would have been a virtual certainty.

_I was almost killed by a _mobile armor_,_ he thought. Like most in what was now the League, Shinn believed that the day of the mobile armor ended in the previous war. Aside from a very few specialized mobile armors, like the Exus, the battlefield belonged to the mobile suit.

"So you're Alex's star pupil," a new voice said.

Shinn turned, surprised, and his hand snapped up in a reflexive salute. "Commander Joule, sir." He'd met Alex's cousin once before, but the circumstances had been very different.

Yzak waved a hand. "Just wanted to talk to the hero of the Second Battle of Orb," he said, smiling at Shinn's stunned look. "I read Alex's after-action report. You really are something else." He looked at Shin's companions. "You guys are pretty good, too."

It might not have sounded like much, but "pretty good" was high praise coming from Yzak Joule, and the four _Minerva_ pilots knew it.

"Thank you, sir," Shinn said at last. "I don't know about the hero part, but I did my best."

Yzak chuckled. "Take it from me, kid, your best is better than something like ninety percent of what we've got. You've definitely earned that red uniform."

That much Shinn agreed with. ZAFT didn't just give away the red uniform; only the very best were permitted to wear it. While that was based solely on training scores, very seldom did combat show it to be in error.

"It was only the beginning, though," Shinn said quietly. "The stolen prototypes are still out there, and who knows what else the Earth Forces have planned."

Yzak sobered. "Yeah, you're right." He looked from his cousin to Athrun and Kira. "You're right..."

* * *

Skies over Indian Ocean

* * *

"Nothing so far," Brian Kilgore reported.

"Roger that," the controller aboard the _Heyerdahl _said. "Make one more pass, then return to base."

"Understood." Brian brought his Scorpion Gundam around. Like his friend and former CO, Brian had been unsurprised by the outbreak of war, yet very surprised at how it had begun. Armory One had been out of the blue, and the Providence's reappearance at Junius Seven had been, to use Kyle Perry's phrase, lightning from a clear sky.

Now it seemed to have shifted to slow torture. The Earth Forces had lost badly at Orb, but Brian had heard ominous rumblings about Atlantic Federation activity in Eurasia. It seemed that the Eurasian Federation was more reluctant this time around, and the Atlantic Federation wasn't very happy about it.

"Just because Eurasia had the nerve to be upset at the attempted murder of their people at Alaska," Brian muttered. His console beeped, and he frowned. "What? Something on the radar?"

That was when the first missile slammed into him.

Brian spun around, shifting his machine to mobile suit mode in the same motion. "What the!? What was that!?" An image appeared on his screen. "A fighter!?"

It certainly appeared so; a fighter jet, white with orange trim, was visible not far away. An Earth Forces unit beyond doubt; nothing else would have reason to attack a ZAFT Gundam. The question was how it had found him, and why it chose to attack when it did.

Brian didn't mull this. His beam rifle came up and fired, missing by several meters.

"You'll have to do better than that, space monster!" The enemy machine abruptly transformed, revealing itself to be in fact a mobile suit. It had no shield, but its hands bore a pair of beam rifles. "Prepare to die!"

_Earth Forces all right!_ Brian fired again, missing for a second time.

"Ha! Guess Coordinators aren't all they're cracked up to be!" The Alliance mobile suit returned fire, taking the Scorpion's left arm off at the shoulder. "Too easy!"

"This is bad," Brian muttered. "I've gotta-"

"Not so fast!" Another double blast stabbed out, immolating the Scorpion's right leg. "You're too slow."

Brian fought to get his machine under control. "Can't let him get to me," he said. "_Heyerdahl_, watch out! There's a new machine-!"

The other mobile suit transformed again. "I'd have thought a former member of the Strassmeier team would be more of a challenge. Looks like I was wrong." He swung around, transforming yet again and raising both rifles. "This is where it ends."

Brian Kilgore's last sight was of the glowing rifle muzzles.

* * *

The Earth Forces pilot smirked as the Scorpion Gundam exploded. Despite his taunts, the ZAFT pilot had been quite good; the problem had been he was taken by surprise. That was what the Earth Forces pilot liked the most: the thrill of the hunt, knowing that his opponent was at his mercy.

He hoped he would be able to hunt down the Spider himself.

"Lieutenant Gable, return to base," his CO said. "You're too exposed."

Yazan Gable grunted. "Right. Returning to base."

In moments, the sky was empty.

* * *

Author's note: While Orb may have prevailed, one of Alex's old comrades has perished. Meanwhile, Neo Roanoke, Xavier Hunter, and J-P La Flaga's Blue Knights prepare for the coming confrontation.

I must apologize for the extreme lateness of this update; internet connection problems and an insane schedule tend to have that effect. I also apologize if it seems to ramble; there were times where I actually forgot where I was going with it. I will try _very _hard not to let this happen again.


End file.
